Art

The Best-Selling Books Of 2020 – Obama Tops The List

“A Promised Land, the first volume of Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs, was the top print title in 2020, moving nearly 2.6 million copies at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. That number is lower, however, than the 3.4 million copies of Michelle Obama’s Becoming sold in 2018, and the former first lady’s book hit the top 25 overall list yet again this year, selling almost 596,000 copies.” – Publishers Weekly
Tags: Art, Obama, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Words, NPD, 01.12.21

Michelle Obama’s Editor Launches New Publishing House With Unorthodox Marketing Strategy

“Rather than relying chiefly on bookstores, retailers, advertising and other traditional channels to promote authors,” Molly Stern plans to have her new venture, Zando, “team up with high-profile individuals, companies and brands, who will act as publishing partners and promote books to their fans and customers.” – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Michelle Obama, Words, Molly Stern, Zando, 10.22.20

Bisa Butler’s Beautiful Quilted Portraits of Frederick Douglass, Nina Simone, Jean-Michel Basquiat & More

Fiber artist Bisa Butler’s quilted portraits of Black Americans gain extra power from their medium. Each work is comprised of many scraps, carefully cut and positioned after hours of research and preliminary sketches. Velvet and silk nestle against bits of vintage flour sacks, West African wax print fabric, denim and, occasionally, hand-me-downs from the sitter’s own collection. In The Warmth of Other Sons, a 12-foot, life-sized portrait of an African American family who migrated nor...
Tags: Google, Art, Fashion, Microsoft, College, Stanford, Nigeria, Africa, History, Creativity, South Africa, Yale, New Jersey, Michelle Obama, West Africa, Civil rights movement

VIDEO: Learn Choreography From THE LION KING in a Tutorial Introduced by Michelle Obama

You can now learn choreography from the THE LION KING on Broadway [Author: Stage Tube]
Tags: Theatre, Broadway, Michelle Obama, Stage Tube

What to know about Hulu's Greta Thunberg documentary

Hopeful, passionate and completely fearless, Greta Thunberg is quickly becoming the face of climate change awareness. The teenage climate activist became a household name after a school-wide strike ignited an international sensation, inspiring millions of young people to stand up to the environmental crisis plaguing the planet we all share. Since those first days of solitary protests outside of the Swedish Parliament, Thunberg has continued to be an example for climate activism. From taking a ze...
Tags: New York, Design, Sweden, Vladimir Putin, Time, Michelle Obama, Leonardo Dicaprio, Finland, Un, Norway, North America, Madrid, Hulu, Trump, Greta, Stockholm Sweden

Viola Davis to Play Michelle Obama in New Showtime Series FIRST LADIES

SHOWTIME has given a series order to the first season of the hour-long drama FIRST LADIES, starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis, who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series will also be executive produced by Julius Tennon, Oscar winner Cathy Schulman Crash, Five Feet Apart, Jeff Gaspin Rhythm Flow, L.A.'s Finest, Brad Kaplan Mr. Church and author Aaron Cooley Four Seats A Thriller of the Supreme C...
Tags: Viola Davis, Supreme Court, Theatre, Showtime, Michelle Obama, Cathy Schulman, Tony, Lionsgate Television, TV News Desk, Oscar Emmy, Jana Winograde, Aaron Cooley, Entertainment Showtime Networks Inc, Julius Tennon Oscar, Brad Kaplan Mr Church

Book Print Sales Were Down 1.3 Percent In 2019

The decline was not unexpected, as sales in 2018 were driven by strong performances of a plethora of political books and the blockbuster success of Michelle Obama’s Becoming, which was the top seller that year with more than three million copies sold. In 2019, Becoming was the #1 title in adult nonfiction, selling about 1.2 million copies. – Publishers Weekly
Tags: Art, Michelle Obama, Words, Audience, 01.10.20

Rebellious Child Illustrated

Collaborations are a wonderful happening, especially when they occur for a good cause. And when writers and illustrators gather around a child's book, the real magic occurs. Italian authors Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli made themselves well-known with their children's books Good Night Stories and Rebellious Little Girls, so it's not a surprise that their youngest audience got hyped about Rebellious Little Child .   Illustrated by dozens of artists worldwide, this book also teaches us, ...
Tags: Art, Design, Disney, Illustration, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Mars, Audrey Hepburn, Serena Williams, J K Rowling, Frida Kahlo, Francesca Cavallo, Elena Favilli, PRIMARY-CHANNELS, Rita Levi Montalcini, CHANNEL-DIGITAL-ART

The Artist Who Painted Michelle Obama’s Portrait Is So In-Demand Now That She Has Assistants, And A Manager

Amy Sherald: “With a successful career, you have to hire some assistants to help, otherwise I can imagine that you would have to snort a lot of cocaine and drink a lot of coffee to just, like, get through life.” – The Cut
Tags: Art, Michelle Obama, Visual, Amy Sherald, 05.02.19

Could Michelle Obama’s Book Become The Bestselling Memoir Of All Time?

“According to publisher Penguin Random House, [Becoming] has sold more than 10 million copies — including hardcover, audiobooks and e-books — since its November release. That puts it near the top, if not the pinnacle, of all-time memoir sales.” It’s already the top-selling hardcover of last year, and it has outsold both of her husband’s books put together. – The Washington Post
Tags: Art, Michelle Obama, Words, Penguin Random House, 03.26.19

Beyoncé effect fills galleries with a new generation of art devotees

Fame sells: that’s the lesson in a survey revealing the world’s most popular exhibitions during a bumper yearIn Paris, it was Beyoncé and Jay-Z; in Washington, it was Barack and Michelle Obama; while, in London, visitors queued to look at Pablo Picasso’s erotic muse or Grayson Perry’s summer picks.Last year the lustre of celebrity, whether garnered from fashion and entertainment or history, seemed to be the best way to attract visitors to museums and galleries. Continue reading...
Tags: Art, London, Beyonce, Washington, Jay-z, UK News, Culture, Art and design, Museums, Paris, Michelle Obama, Pablo Picasso, Grayson Perry, Barack

A Million New Visitors Have Come To National Portrait Gallery To See Paintings Of Barack And Michelle Obama

“The Obama portraits have catapulted the Smithsonian museum to the top tier of the city’s attractions by dramatically increasing attendance. The Old Patent Office Building — the historic home to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum — had a record-breaking 2.3 million visitors in 2018, about a million more than in 2017.” – The Washington Post
Tags: Art, Obama, Michelle Obama, Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery, Audience, Visual, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 02.26.19

The Grammys Had A Surprise Special Guest

Surprise! “Those expecting a ho-hum Grammys night were surely jolted awake on Sunday when, just minutes into the show, Michelle Obama walked onto the stage hand-in-hand with Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez. They were joined by the host Alicia Keys.” And by the way, here’s the complete list of winners. – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Music, Alicia Keys, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, 02.10.19, Lady Gaga Jada Pinkett Smith

The Best and Worst Branding of 2018

Design can be powerful. Thriving businesses know this and regularly rely on good design to create influential and impressive brand identities and brands. As we recently wrote, No successful company has ever left its brand and branding to chance. Instead, smart companies are intentional and public about their mission and values, among other things. There’s a good reason for this. 87% of consumers will purchase a product solely because of brand values. In 2018, we saw some terrific examples of st...
Tags: Uber, Design, London, White House, Sales, New York Times, Michelle Obama, Heineken, Duracell, DuPont, Time Magazine, Oprah Winfrey, Fast Company, Mailchimp, Branding, Ftc

The Books (And Movies, And Music) That 44th President Barack Obama Enjoyed In 2019

No surprise, his favorite book was Becoming, by Michelle Obama. But of course, many of us who enjoy streaming platforms live for his playlists, and this year’s no different. – The New York Times
Tags: Art, Barack Obama, Ideas, Michelle Obama, 12.28.18

"That whole 'so you can have it all.' Nope, not at the same time. That’s a lie. And it’s not always enough to lean in, because that shit doesn’t work all the time."

Said Michelle Obama, and good for her!Quoted in New York Magazine.The sentiment is important and plainly true, but I think what's getting more attention is her use — in a public setting — of the word "shit." I think it's interesting that she said "that shit doesn’t work all the time" and not "that shit don’t work all the time." This wasn't a descent into the vernacular. She was keeping it lofty, but choosing to deploy the expressive, valuable word "shit."The WaPo article on the subject is titled...
Tags: Art, Facebook, New York, Law, Obama, Wikipedia, America, Language, Michelle Obama, God, Buddhism, Sheryl Sandberg, Trump, Michelle, Buddha, WaPo

We’re obsessed with this poster featuring favorite self-saving heroines

Just when I thought I could never love another print as much as I love my Michelle Obama print, along comes this amazing She-Series collage poster from Karen Hallion featuring so many of my favorite self-saving, empowered female heroines from books, movies, and comics. I adore every single one of the nine amazing characters depicted […]
Tags: Art, Star Wars, Shopping, Etsy, Comic Books, Disney, Michelle Obama, Pop Culture, Wonder Woman, Hamilton, Gifts For Women, Gifts For Kids, Karen Hallion, Gifts For Geeks, Women's History, Art + Decor

The Observer’s ultimate guide to autumn culture

A musical Twelfth Night, Michelle Obama’s memoirs and the last ever gig by Ennio Morricone: our critics preview the new season• Jay Rayner on the best of autumn food• Morwenna Ferrier on five key seasonal fashion trends• Andrew Rawnsley on what to expect from politics Bodyguard (BBC One, 9pm) has autumn’s new TV off to a roaring start. Jed Mercurio’s new series about an autocratic home secretary (Keeley Hawes) and the man charged with protecting her (Richard Madden), is a twisty political thrill...
Tags: Food, Art, Books, Fashion, Music, Politics, Comedy, Science, Technology, Television, Podcasts, Film, Theatre, Sport, Culture, Architecture

Artist Amy Sherald, Who Painted The Portrait Of Michelle Obama, Has Won A Major Prize In Maryland

Sherald won the $40,000 Mary Sawyers Imboden Prize, capping off a couple of big years for the artist. "It’s only been in the past two years that the 44-year-old Sherald has received the career recognition of which most artists dream. In May 2016, she bested 2,500 other entries nationwide to win first place in the […]
Tags: Art, Maryland, Michelle Obama, Visual, Amy Sherald, Sherald, 05.18.18

Michelle Obama Portrait Artist Amy Sherald to Join Hauser & Wirth

Amy Sherald, the portrait artist behind the acclaimed Michelle Obama official portrait, is now represented by Hauser & Wirth. “I have never seen portraits painted like this,” Marc Payot, a partner and vice president of Hauser & Wirth, says. “I believe the singularity of Amy’s approach is in itself a major achievement.” Read more at Art News  
Tags: Art, News, Michelle Obama, Art News, Minipost, Amy, Hauser, Wirth, Hauser Wirth, Amy Sherald, Marc Payot

Using the arts for change on International Women’s Day

With every generation comes difficult and contested times that shape history. In the United States, where we are experiencing one of the most divided society in decades, the sentiment feels omnipresent and pervasive. For women and those of nonconforming gender, the issues at stake are even more expansive than the gun laws, environmental concerns, or tax reforms that are on the minds of our citizens. For those of us who identify as such, personal rights over our bodies and behaviors are being cha...
Tags: Art, Books, Featured, Activism, Russia, Southeast Asia, Turkey, Change, United States, Inspire, Equality, Artists, Michelle Obama, Oprah, Malala, International Women's Day

Michelle Obama portrait puts black Baltimore artist in the spotlight

The commission of a lifetime for Amy Sherald has kickstarted a conversation about art, politics and cultureShe is a Baltimore-based artist who only paints African-American subjects and always uses a muted palette. But last week, Amy Sherald became the art world’s latest sensation as her portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama was unveiled in Washington.Sherald, 44, almost didn’t get to paint Obama. She put away her brushes for three years to care for her family in Georgia. Then, in 2012, sh...
Tags: Art, Obama, Washington, Barack Obama, Georgia, World news, US news, Culture, Art and design, Michelle Obama, Baltimore, Amy Sherald, Sherald

Link About It: This Week's Picks: Computer-generated candy hearts, a dating site for gorillas, an LGBTQ+ plaid from Burberry and more

1. Official Barack and Michelle Obama Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery Today, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald became the first black painters to unveil commissioned presidential...... Continue Reading...
Tags: Art, Design, Obama, NYC, Animals, Environment, Architecture, Washington Dc, Burberry, Michelle Obama, Lgbtq, Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, Barack, Link-about-it, Valentinesday

‘A Game Changer.’ How a Painting of President Obama Broke the Rules

"You don't hire Kehinde Wiley to have a tame painting"
Tags: Art, News, Obama, White House, Uncategorized, Barack Obama, History, Michelle Obama, Kehinde Wiley

National Portrait Gallery Unveils Official Barack and Michelle Obama Portraits

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. has unveiled its commissioned paintings of Barack and Michelle Obama by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, respectively, Art News reports.   Read more at Art News  
Tags: Art, News, Washington, Michelle Obama, National Portrait Gallery, Barack, Art News, Minipost, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald

Chris Cillizza accidentally (I think) insults Michelle Obama.

This is a beautiful portrait. It looks very little like Michelle Obama pic.twitter.com/1CsRrWIJtN— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) February 12, 2018 [Author: [email protected] (Ann Althouse)]
Tags: Art, Law, Michelle Obama, Chris Cillizza, Ann Althouse, Michelle O

Barack and Michelle Obama's official portraits expand beyond usual format

The pictures, painted by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, are vivid depictions by African American artists and will hang at the SmithsonianBarack Obama tried to negotiate less grey hair, he recalled, but Kehinde Wiley’s “artistic integrity” would not allow it. He tried to negotiate smaller ears but “struck out on that as well”. There was one area of concession, however: Wiley’s impulse to depict Obama on a throne, holding a sceptre or perhaps even riding a horse. “I had to explain that I’ve got en...
Tags: Art, Obama, Washington, America, Barack Obama, World news, US news, Culture, US politics, Art and design, Michelle Obama, Wiley, Napoleon, Barack, Kehinde Wiley, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Link About It: Official Barack and Michelle Obama Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery

Today, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald became the first black painters to unveil commissioned presidential portraits from and at the museum. Wiley's portrayal of a thoughtful, sitting President...... Continue Reading...
Tags: Art, Design, Culture, Washington Dc, Michelle Obama, Wiley, Paintings, Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, Barack, Linkaboutit, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, MichelleObama, Washingtondc, Presidentobama

The "engaged and assertive demeanor" of Obama in his portrait "contradicts — and cosmetically corrects — the impression he often made in office of being philosophically detached from what was going on around him."

"At some level, all portraits are propaganda, political or personal. And what makes this one distinctive is the personal part. [The artist Kehinde] Wiley has set Mr. Obama against — really embedded him in — a bower of what looks like ground cover. From the greenery sprout flowers that have symbolic meaning for the sitter. African blue lilies represent Kenya, his father’s birthplace; jasmine stands for Hawaii, where Mr. Obama himself was born; chrysanthemums, the official flower of Chicago, refer...
Tags: Art, Law, Obama, Chicago, Hawaii, Michelle Obama, Kenya, Mrs Obama, Ann Althouse, Michelle Smith, Michelle O, Amy Sherald, Holland Carter, Obama and pop culture, Kehinde -RSB- Wiley

Official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled

Pictures to hang at National Portrait Gallery in WashingtonOfficial portraits painted by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald Official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama were unveiled on Monday at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.The Obamas were there to see the unveiling of the gallery’s first commissions of official portraits by African American artists. Continue reading...
Tags: Art, Barack Obama, World news, US news, Culture, US politics, Art and design, Michelle Obama, National Portrait Gallery, Barack, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Washington The Obamas