National Portrait Gallery is one of the campuses operated by Smithsonian Institution. Our records show the address as Washington, DC, United States.
Use the address below when you need directions, mailing information or a clear sense of where National Portrait Gallery is located. Larger institutions often spread teaching, research and administration across multiple sites, so confirm this is the campus relevant to your visit, interview or job application.
The National Portrait Gallery offers courses in portraiture, biography, and American identity, drawing from its extensive collection of likenesses.
- Portrait Painting and Drawing: Techniques in realism and abstraction, with life drawing sessions from historical models.
- Biographical Studies: Analyzes lives through portraits, focusing on leadership and cultural figures.
- Identity and Representation: Explores race, gender, and class in visual narratives, with critical essays.
- Photography in Portraiture: History and practice of photographic portraits, including darkroom work.
- Cultural History via Art: Connects portraits to broader American stories, like civil rights eras.
These programs, exceeding 300 hours, include gallery tours and research seminars. Students develop interpretive skills, creating their own portraits for critique. The curriculum promotes empathy through personal stories behind images. Hybrid options allow flexible participation, with capstones in public exhibitions. Diversity in faculty ensures multifaceted views, preparing learners for art history or curatorial roles. The gallery's historic building enhances the immersive experience, fostering a deep connection to national heritage.
Other campuses at Smithsonian Institution
- Anacostia Community Museum
- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
- Freer Gallery of Art
- George Gustav Heye Center
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- National Air and Space Museum
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Museum of Natural History Museum Support Center
- National Museum of the American Indian
- National Postal Museum
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
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