Barack and Michelle Obama will produce a podcast for Amazon 0:45
(CNN) --
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama will visit the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of their official White House portraits, marking their first joint return since leaving in 2017 and the return of a Washington tradition that was last celebrated 10 years ago.
The pieces, which will hang inside the White House for decades, are the first official portraits to be added to the White House Collection since then-President Obama held a moving bipartisan ceremony for George W. Bush and Laura Bush in 2012.
Wednesday's ceremony in the East Room marks a rare occasion for a celebration between two presidential administrations inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are expected to convene the nation's top officials. past and present administration, from the unique point of view of having served in both governments.
It was in the same room that Obama unexpectedly awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017, a tearful ceremony that reflected the deep mutual respect between the two men.
Although the two like to hype their relationship in public, there are limits to their friendship, officials have said.
Why should we care about the new official portraits of Michelle and Barack Obama?
Stewart McLaurin, the president of the White House Historical Association (WHHA), told CNN that the Covid-19 pandemic played a factor in the timing of the exhibit.
The WHHA, a nonprofit organization, facilitates and funds the creation of the portraits.
"Covid hit us two and a half years ago, and I think it's important that these (portraits) be released at a time when the public has access to the White House and can see them," McLaurin said.
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Although there is no hard and fast rule about when a White House portrait should be unveiled, the ceremonies are often hosted by the immediate successor to a former president.
And when he was in office, President Donald Trump never held an Obama portrait ceremony.
What will Obama's portraits look like?
Details about the pieces to be unveiled this Wednesday were a closely guarded secret, as the
artists and art promoters signed non-disclosure agreements to keep the secret ahead of the big day.
But the Obamas have often used art as a tool to express their tastes, so it should come as no surprise that their White House portraits follow suit.
"There's going to be some evolution in these portraits over time...and I think it's going to be really exciting," McLaurin said in a preview of Obama's upcoming portraits.
"I think it's going to be a magical moment. I think it's going to be an evolution of art."
He continued, "We're heading now into the first third of the 21st century. And I think in the minds of most Americans, we see presidential portraits as these very traditional, 19th-century look-and-feel portraits. But art and taste for art evolve and change".
The portrait of former President Obama was in charge of Robert McCurdy and that of Michelle Obama is a work of Sharon Sprung.
Credit: WHHA
While living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Obamas chose to highlight various contemporary and modern artists.
A painting by Robert Rauschenberg replaced the portrait of a Roosevelt in the family dining room.
Works by Mark Rothko and Josef Albers were installed.
And Michelle Obama brought works by Alma Thomas, the first black artist in the White House collection.
The artists behind the newly revealed portraits Wednesday are Robert McCurdy, who painted former President Barack Obama, and Sharon Sprung, who took on the portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama.
Former President Barack Obama kisses former first lady Michelle Obama at their official portrait unveiling ceremony at the White House.
Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Since leaving the presidency, the Obamas have devoted part of their post-White House career to producing award-winning movies and podcasts, as well as putting together song and book lists each year.
For their portraits unveiled in 2018 at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery (not to be confused with the new official White House portraits unveiled this week), the Obamas chose two black artists with unique perspectives on depicting black subjects. .
Amy Sherald, who painted the first lady's portrait at the Smithsonian, defies race convention by depicting her figures' skin in shades of gray.
Kehinde Wiley, who painted the former president, reimagines old master paintings with black subjects.
Traditionally, the last two sets of presidential portraits are placed in the White House's Cross Hall, although Trump opted to move the Bush and Clinton portraits to the Old Family Dining Room, which was essentially used as storage during his White House, after to antagonize both families.
Biden moved the Bush and Clinton portraits back to Cross Hall, but with a new Obama portrait, Clinton may have to be relocated soon.
Wednesday's ceremony at the White House
The return of the Obamas to the White House is a rare moment for current and past administrations to converge and take a look at the presidential legacy.
Unlike the 2012 presentation, this Wednesday's event will feature attendees from the same party, and some of them will have connections to both administrations.
Barack Obama's legacy in society and in his family: what has lasted after his government?
The Obamas will be joined by family, friends, former cabinet members and senior administration officials during the presentation.
Marian Robinson, the mother of Michelle Obama who lived in the White House residence during her presidency, is scheduled to attend the ceremony, an adviser to the Obamas told CNN, but her daughters Malia and Sasha are not scheduled to attend.
Other expected attendees include former Obama Secretary General (and current US Ambassador to Japan) Rahm Emanuel, former Senior Advisor David Axelrod, former Treasury Secretaries Jack Lew and Timothy Geithner, former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius , former Attorney General Eric Holder, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, former Director of the US Office of Management and Budget Shaun Donovan, and former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.
Former President Obama has visited the White House several other times since Biden took office, but Wednesday's event will mark the first time Michelle Obama has returned to the building since the Trumps arrived in January 2017.
Biden and Obama forged a close relationship when they served together in office, but their friendship has its limits.
Although they speak from time to time, they do not maintain daily or weekly contact, people familiar with the matter have said.
After two terms working in the shadow of Obama, Biden has at times differed from his predecessor.
Officials have said there is also a degree of competition between them.
Their history, while one of collaboration, has also been marred by various slights, real or perceived, that still linger.
Obama refused to endorse Biden against other Democrats in the 2020 primary, a step both insisted was necessary to allow for true competition within the party.
four years before,
Obama had considered Hillary Clinton as his Democratic successor rather than Biden, who decided not to run as he dealt with the death of his son.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the unveiling would mark a lasting symbol of the "power of hope and change" in the White House.
Jean-Pierre highlighted the close relationship between the two presidents, saying, "Over the course of their eight years in office together, a close association between the two men grew through the ups and downs of work and life."
Obama jokes with Biden during his speech at the White House
The portraits of the Trumps continue
The WHHA is in the "early stages" of the portrait processes for former President Trump and former first lady Melania Trump, McLaurin said.
“There is a focus on specific artists who are likely to do their portraits,” McLaurin added.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN that talks about the portraits began in the last six months at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's residence in Florida, and that the former president recently posed for the photographs.
However, it is unknown if Trump has already posed for the White House portrait artist or for photos specifically for the portraits.
On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre declined to say whether Biden would extend an invitation to Trump should his portrait be completed during his administration.
While official White House portraits are typically funded by the WHHA, the other set of portraits being created for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is being backed by Trump's political donors.
Trump's political action committee donated $650,000 to the Smithsonian Institute in July to help fund portraits of the Trumps, according to Linda St. Thomas.
The donation from the Trump leadership committee marks the first time the funding has come from a political action committee since the institution began raising private funds for presidential portraits, a practice that began with portraits associated with former President George HW Bush. St Thomas said.
Thomas said another $100,000 private donation also helps pay for the costs associated with the portraits.
The funds, totaling $750,000, will go towards artist fees, shipping, framing, installation and events.
CNN's Kevin Liptak, Fredreka Schouten, Gabby Orr, Betsy Klein and Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.
Barack ObamaMichelle Obama