TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A portrait by University of Alabama assistant professor of art Brian Bishop has been chosen for inclusion in an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
His painting “Untitled (Missing Lawrence)” was chosen as a finalist in the first U.S. national portrait competition, the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. A panel of seven internationally renowned jurors chose 51 paintings and sculptures from more than 4,000 entries for inclusion in the exhibition which will be held triennially.
The National Portrait Gallery began its inaugural competition in the summer of 2005. The exhibition marks the grand opening of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, which houses the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. Both museums have been closed for seven years to accommodate an extensive renovation of the historic Patent Office Building, revered as one of the architectural gems of Washington.
The exhibition, which opened in July, will be on display through February 2007. For more information, visit http://www.portraitcompetition.si.edu. Visitors to the exhibition, both online and in the gallery, will be able to cast a vote for their favorite to win the People’s Choice Award, with voting ending Aug. 31. The winner will be announced Sept. 15.
The department of art is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest public liberal arts college in the state. Students from the college have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the “USA Today” Academic All American Team.