Established in 2006, it is the premier national competition celebrating excellence and innovation in portraiture. For the resulting exhibition, The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today, jurors selected 43 winning works from more than 2,500 entries. The artists tackle some of the most pressing topics in the cultural and political realms, including investigations of race and gender, the fragility of childhood in our increasingly complicated world, and the psychological impact of migration. As the artists demonstrate a mastery over their chosen mediums, they express their convictions and reveal the diversity of experiences that connect us—as individuals, as communities, and as a nation.

With the current presentation, the Portrait Gallery is launching the first national tour in which the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is the only Midwest venue. A variety of thought-provoking educational programming has been designed to complement the themes in The Outwin 2016, and will be offered free of charge to learners of all ages. For additional information about the exhibition and the competition's origins, CLICK HERE.

This exhibition has been organized by the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. The competition and exhibition have been made possible by generous support from the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment.