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Toure Show

Amy Sherald-I Painted Michelle Obama

Toure Show

DCP Entertainment

Society & Culture, Arts, Performing Arts

4.8880 Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2025

⏱️ 87 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Toure Show Ep. 111 Original Air Date: Feb. 5, 2020 Amy Sherald painted the official portrait of Michelle Obama that’s hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. There’s an awesome story around how she got that commission and the artistic choices she made in making that painting. Amy was already a major portraitist before she met Michelle even though, just a few years ago, Amy was broke and wondering where her artistic career was going. She’s also got someone else’s heart inside of her thanks to a transplant that saved her life. She’s also a former rapper. And an all-around wonderful person. She’s an example of success coming to someone who believes in herself no matter what. I love this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Joe Wix is on a mission. I want to make this and sell it. He's creating a protein bar. This is ultra-processing. That could potentially kill you. I want the maximum amount of each harmful ingredient while staying within the legal limit. So just how ridiculous the food system really is. Joe Wix, Licensed to Kill on Channel 4. Stream now.

0:36.9

The day the paintings were unveiled. my mom called and she said,

0:40.6

I don't like the color of Michelle Obama's skin.

0:43.8

And I was like, mom, that's what Amy Sherrill does.

0:46.8

And she's like, I don't like it.

0:48.7

Yeah.

0:49.3

A lot of people did.

0:49.9

A lot of, I'll say a lot of black people didn't.

0:52.0

Right.

0:53.0

So take me back to now I'm conceiving this of black people didn't. Right. So, so take me back to you, now I'm

0:55.9

conceiving this and I'm going to go with my skin choice. That's why she chose me. I didn't

1:02.4

force that on her. She, she knew that you were going to give her that gray, black. Absolutely.

1:09.3

That's why I. Did you talk about that choice specifically? You, it wasn't even a real conversation. It was like, I like your work, and I want you to be the one to paint me. And I'm like, well, this is how I paint. She's like, that's what we want. They chose us for a reason. They chose us because there's like this break in history right now. Yes. And everybody needs to know this happen.

1:29.6

And these portraits have to be as special as the moment because they may not ever

1:32.9

happen again.

1:34.9

I am so excited for this episode.

1:37.4

I've been waiting to do this interview for a year and a half.

1:41.1

And finally it's here.

1:42.5

My home girl, Amy Sherald, is a major league portrait painter

1:47.4

who painted the official portrait of the First Lady Michelle Obama.

1:52.7

It's hanging in the National Portrait Gallery right now.

1:56.5

Before that commission, Amy was a big name in the art world.

...

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