the obamas are coming

Famed Barack and Michelle Obama portraits head to Texas museum

Get ready, Texas: The Obamas are on the move and will be making a temporary home in 2022 at Houston's Museum of Fine Arts.

Okay, technically the real 44th U.S. president and first lady aren’t measuring the drapes for an art-vacation; instead the acclaimed “President Barack Obama”portrait by Kehinde Wiley and the “Michelle Obama” portrait by Amy Sherald will take up residence at the Houston museum March 25-May 30, 2022.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery just announced a five-city tour of the famed portraits and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston becomes that last stop on the tour, the only museum in Texas and the southwest region. The tour begins in the Obamas' hometown of Chicago and makes stops at the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the High Art Museum in Atlanta before coming to Texas.

The first African-American artists selected for a National Portrait Gallery’s official portraits of a president or first lady commission, Wiley and Sherald’s portraits became instant sensations when first revealed in early 2018.

“We view the country as our community,” said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery in a statement made upon the announcement of the tour. “Since the unveiling of these two portraits of the Obamas, the Portrait Gallery has experienced a record number of visitors, not only to view these works in person, but to be part of the communal experience of a particular moment in time. This tour is an opportunity for audiences in different parts of the country to witness how portraiture can engage people in the beauty of dialogue and shared experience.”

In addition to the paintings, the tour will include an audio-visual element, Portrait Gallery-led teacher workshops, and curatorial presentations in each location. In anticipation of the tour, the Portrait Gallery is also publishing a book in partnership with Princeton University Press. The Obama Portraits will be released February 11.

"Barack Obama" by Kehinde Wiley, oil on canvas, 2018. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

Image courtesy of Kehinde Wiley

"Barack Obama" by Kehinde Wiley, oil on canvas, 2018. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

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Canal News

American Airlines adds new roundtrip from DFW Airport to Venice, Italy

Skyscrapercity.com

New destination from DFW Aiport.

Starting in May 2025, Fort Worth-based American Airlines is adding new flights to Italy, including a direct flight from DFW Airport to Venice.

It's part of a big Italy expansion with increased flights to Rome (FCO), Naples (NAP), and Venice (VCE).

“As Italy continues to remain popular for summertime travel, American is making it easier than ever for customers to shop, dine or unwind in their favorite destinations,” says American senior VP Brian Znotins in a release.

Tickets will be available for purchase starting Nov. 4 on aa.com and American’s mobile app.

American will offer its first-ever nonstop flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to VCE starting June 5. Complementing existing service from Philadelphia (PHL), the airline will offer convenient one-stop connections to VCE from more than 230 destinations in North America.

Other non-DFW flights include:

Building upon its new NAP service that launched this year, American will fly nonstop from Chicago (ORD) to NAP in 2025.

Rome will see expanded summer service from Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL), starting in June. American already offers daily year-round service from Rome to Philly but now will operate a second daily flight during the summer.

American recently announced additional nonstop service to Europe, including resuming service to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), next year. The airline will also launch more flights to Athens, Greece (ATH), and Milan (MXP) next year.

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