Meet U.S. at the National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is a museum of people, by people, for people; where history, art and biography combine to share the American story and remind visitors that our actions can change the world. The only museum of its kind in the United States, we aim to foster greater civic engagement, inspire leadership, and promote the power of personal creativity.
The Portrait Gallery aims to be the leading museum in the world utilizing American portraiture and visual biography to foster greater civic engagement and inspire leadership. We believe that our society is better when we learn from each other and build a strong sense of community where everyone is welcomed. By sharing the stories and experiences of others, the museum cultivates understanding between people of different ideas and backgrounds. Portraiture is a tool to inspire empathy, connection and action to create a better shared future.
NPG’s campaign will raise funds for:
- BUILDING foundational endowment funds for education, acquisition, exhibitions, and leadership positions that provide consistent financial stability and help us sustain our commitment to telling the history of our nation.
- ELEVATING America’s Presidents, the nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, and ensuring the ongoing maintenance of the exhibition space, new scholarship, care of the collection, and associated educational programming.
- DEVELOPING a new education center for visitors of all ages to actively engage with portraiture, art, and history, and foster a deeper, contextualized understanding of the world around them through their visit to the National Portrait Gallery.
- PRESERVING our country’s history by re-envisioning the majestic Great Hall, on the third floor, as a vibrant epicenter of cultural discourse that illuminates the American Dream through portraiture.