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Portraits, Inc.

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Portraits, Inc.
IndustryCommissioned Portraiture
Founded1942
FounderLois Shaw
HeadquartersBirmingham, Alabama, United States
Key people
Beverly McNeil
(owner)
Julia Baughman
(owner)
Ruth Reeves
(owner)
ProductsPortrait paintings, drawings, and sculptures
Websiteportraitsinc.com

Portraits, Inc., is the world's oldest and largest commissioned portrait company.[1] Founded in New York City in 1942, Portraits, Inc. specializes in commissioned paintings or sculptures.[2] Today the agency represents over 100 of today's commissioned portrait artists. For over 80 years, the company has been women-owned and operated, with a network of trained associates across the United States.[3] Recent notable commissions include painted portraits of Condoleezza Rice,[4] General George W. Casey, Jr., Tommy Lasorda, Governor Nikki Haley, Michael Chertoff,[5] General Martin E. Dempsey, James Gilmore, Tom Ridge, Francis J. Harvey, Ann Veneman, Timothy Kaine, Leon Panetta, and U.S. White House cabinet officials.[6]

History

Portraits, Inc.'s Park Avenue gallery mid 20th century

New York

Portraits, Inc., was founded in New York City in 1942 by Lois Shaw, an art and antiques dealer and socialite. The idea began as a partnership between Mrs. Shaw and the USO in the early 1940s. At this time Mrs. Shaw hosted weekly studio parties in her Park Avenue gallery in which she asked guest portrait artist to create drawings from life of the military men and women in attendance. The portraits of men and women in uniform were sent as matted works of art to the families of the sitters. At the time there were not galleries in New York dedicated to the exhibition of fine portraiture. Mrs. Shaw announced a gallery service for living portrait artists called "The Portrait Painters' Clearing House," then, in 1942, founded Portraits, Inc.[7] Mrs. Shaw was soon joined by Helen Appleton Read,[8] who became the gallery director and later president of Portraits, Inc.,[9] and Andrea Ericson, who served as the gallery director.[10] The three are credited for their contributions towards bring portraiture back in vogue in the United States.

Birmingham and Flat Rock

Portraits, Inc. Birmingham gallery

In 2008, Portraits, Inc., was purchased by Beverly B. McNeil[11] and Julia G. Baughman.[12] McNeil, owner of Portrait Brokers of America in Birmingham, AL, merged the two companies. Two years later, owner Ruth Reeves joined in partnership when she brought a third agency, The Portrait Source from Flat Rock, NC, under the Portraits, Inc. name.[13]

Artists

Portraits, Inc. has established relationships with artists and advocated for the field of portrait painting for over 80 years. The roster of artists has included Andrew Wyeth,[14] Henrietta Wyeth,[15] Albert Murray, Robert Brackman, John Koch, Samuel Edmund Oppenheim, Sidney Dickinson, Aaron Shikler, Marshall Bouldin, III,[16] and Nelson Shanks. Today the agency represents more than 100 portrait artists across the U.S. and internationally. Notable artists include Daniel E. Greene,[17] Everett Raymond Kinstler, John Howard Sanden,[18] Burton Silverman, Michael Shane Neal,[19] Ned Bittinger,[20] and Sharon Sprung.,[21] Jean-Denis Maillart. Twelve portrait artists exclusively represented by Portraits, Inc., are David Goatley, Carol Baxter Kirby, Liz Lindstrom, Teresa Mattos, Dawn Whitelaw, Andrew Gow, Scott Woolever, Mary Qian, Grace DeVito, Katherine Buchanan, Glenda Brown, and Jennifer R. Welty.

Scholarship Foundation

The Portraits, Inc. Scholarship Foundation[22] was established in 2001 to provide annual funding to children and grandchildren of agency portrait artists. University scholarships are awarded each year to qualifying applicants. Eight scholarship named in honor of the artist and staff Lifetime Achievement Award Winners.[23]

References

  1. ^ "47th Annual Exhibition American Society of Miniature Painters [ad]" (PDF). New York Times". New York. February 7, 1947. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  2. ^ Morrison, Lennox. “A painting worth a thousand words” "BBC", November 30, 2014. Retrieved on December 6, 2017.
  3. ^ Pallone, Tony (May 18, 2017). "Friend aims to keep late artist friend's memory alive". Times Union. Albany. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  4. ^ Vallen, Mark (June 20, 2014). "Condolezza Rice portrait unveiled". Art for a Change. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  5. ^ Kamen, Al; Itkowitz, Colby (March 26, 2014). "Oregon's Schrader called for extending health deadline weeks before White House". Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Itkowitz, Colby (March 26, 2014). "Cabinet officials who beat the oil-portrait ban await their big reveal". Washington Post". Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Portraits, Inc.: Portrait center of America [ad]". Art News Annual. 21–24: 173. 1952.
  8. ^ “Helen Appleton Read papers, [ca. 1920]-1974" "Smithsonian Archives of American Art". Retrieved on December 13, 2017.
  9. ^ Trow, George W. S. (May 13, 1967). "Rare rugs". New Yorker. New York. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  10. ^ Bell, William Gardner (1981). Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits and Biographical Sketches (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army. pp. viii.
  11. ^ "Every picture tells a story". Bhm Biz. Birmingham. September 29, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  12. ^ Hellwig, Rachel (October 27, 2016). "Sharing her passion". Iron City Ink. Birmingham. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  13. ^ Millwood, Joey (February 11, 2013). "Right artist key to portraits". Hendersonville Times-News. Hendersonville. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  14. ^ “Salmagundi Club: An American Institution” "Dubuque Museum of Art: Traditional Fine Arts Organizations, Inc.”, March 20, 2005. Retrieved on December 7, 2017.
  15. ^ Fitzgerald, Jean (1996), A Finding Aid to the Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth Hurd Papers, 1917–1993 (PDF), Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Archives of American Art, pp. 2–11
  16. ^ Donley, Richard (March 10, 1995). Everything Has Its Price: The Indispensable Price Guide for Anyone Who Ever Wondered, How Much Does that Cost?. p. 86.
  17. ^ Green, Daniel E.; Bloomfield, Maureen (December 10, 2017). Daniel E. Greene Studios and Subways: An American Master His Life and Art. p. 207.
  18. ^ “The white house portraits & selected recent portrait” "John Howard Sanden". Retrieved December 5, 2017
  19. ^ “Portrait painting, The first ten years” "Michael Shane Neal". Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  20. ^ "New Mexico Portrait Painter Ned Bittinger". portraitartist.com. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  21. ^ "Sharon Spring's latest commission". Linea. Art Students League of New York. October 11, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  22. ^ "Portraits, Inc. Scholarship Program | Support the Arts". Portraits Inc. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Helmer, Lauren. "Kelly Moffatt: FACES of Birmingham". Style Blue Print. Nashville. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
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