Glitter Portrait Project
Portraiture can foster critical dialogue, reconnect relationships to place, reduce stigma, encourage empathy and strengthen the social fabric of community.
Community Project Inspiration
Inspired by Mickalene Thomas, a luminary of the contemporary art world, the glitter portrait project sought to bring together communities across Washington, D.C. in a collaborative and glittery experience.
Mickalene’s work explores how culture influences personal identity, focusing on consumerism, stereotypes, symbolic references and historical biases. Her work specializes in dazzling collage portraits adorning her muses in lush fabrics, glitter and rhinestones to diversify the representations of black women in art.
First Year of the Project
In the first year of the project, college students and faculty, community members and art museum staff created self-portraits, contemplating the concept of adornment. Exploring identity and cultural notions of dress, participants challenged standard notions of beauty through the lens of pop culture and art.
College and Museum Staff Participants
Over 500 Corcoran College of Art and Design undergraduates and graduates and Corcoran museum and college staff.
Youth Participants
ArtReach students (Ages 8-18) created portraits during the after-school program at THEARC.
Organization and Family Participants
The project also included family members and partnering organization staff members.
Expanding the Project
During the second year of the project, we switched the format to engage community members who might not otherwise meet. We took photos of the participants across the city, but instead of creating self-portraits, we exchanged the photographs with a stranger. Each participant wrote a little bit about themselves on the back of their photo to further the connection.
Both exhibitions went on display in the Corcoran Gallery of Art and an exhibition opening was held in celebration of the community of artists. Many participants not only saw their portrait for the first time but also had a chance to meet the artist of their portrait at the opening.
