CULTURE
#UNORDINARYWOMEN, AS TOLD BY AMY SHERALD
APRIL 21, 2020
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WORDS
by KRISTOPHER FRASER
PHOTOGRAPHY
COURTESY of LINDA GAUNT COMMUNICATIONS
Lafayette 148 is celebrating its second year of its #UnordinaryWomen campaign, featuring nine trailblazing women including NASA chief Peggy Whitson, artist Amy Sherald, Brooklyn Museum director Anna Pasternak, Girl Rising CEO Christina Lowery, activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham, author Julissa Arce, Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign CEO Meena Harris, art advisor Maria Brito, and Hello AVA CEO Siqi Mou.
Sherald is a groundbreaking artist who is best known for being the first black woman to paint a portrait of a first lady, namely Michelle Obama. Lafayette 148 reached out to her about being featured in this year’s campaign, and when it comes to anything uplifting girls and women, Sherald is always on board. She discovered the brand 2 years ago when she moved to New York and is a huge fan of their dresses. This year’s #UnordinaryWomen campaign will also benefit Lowery’s organization, Girls Rising, the non-profit organization for promoting girls’ rights and education around the globe.
Sherald says causes like Girls Rising are very important right now because, “There’s people who aren’t doing well already, and those people are really going to be struggling the most. They were already living on the periphery anyways. It’s inspiring that while we are sitting here, we can do something from home. We can use a hashtag and that makes somebody else’s life better. It’s an easy way to raise money, and offering help and inspiration is so important right now. We are sitting in our houses, and everyone would love to help, but we have to stay quarantined. This was an opportunity to do something special and feel like we are making a difference.”
Amy Sherald
Although she’s been an artist practically her entire life, Sherald says that 2016 is the year she feels she officially became part of the contemporary art world when she finally had a gallery space. “Everything in my life was about that moment,” she said. “I had been painting my whole life, and everything I was working on since college has been about making sure I could finally see that moment. 9 years ago, I quit my job as a server, and I’ve been working full-time as an artist ever since.”
Sherald’s major career highlight of painting First Lady Michelle Obama’s portrait came through an initiative with the National Portrait Gallery, where the gallery began commissioning portraits of presidents and first ladies. A portfolio of artists was put together and reviewed, and five lucky artists had the privilege of meeting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in July of 2016. “The Obamas and I talked about art, we talked about life, we talked about what else I did aside from painting,” Sherald said.
In September 2016, she received the commission to paint First Lady Michelle Obama’s portrait. It took her 2 months of non-stop painting, and she says she practically collapsed when she was finished.
Since we’ve been in quarantine, Sherald has actually managed to find some downtime and take a break from her craft. Lately she’s been accepting more interviews (lucky us), which she’s been enjoying because it allows her to discuss her work and keep focus on what she wants to do next. “I’m not the kind of person that gets stuck in my craft,” Sherald said. “If I can take a break from my craft, I do. My practice is like a machine, I have to move like a machine. I’m typically up by 8 a.m. every morning. Right now, I’ve got the chance to experiment with different things with this downtime. I’ve been working on watercolor painting, and I’ve also been housebreaking two puppies I’m fostering.”
Amy Sherald
Amy Sherald
