A Celebration Two Decades in the Making

It is that time of year again to try to recap all of the incredible events and experiences of the Portrait Society’s annual The Art of the Portrait conference, which took place this year April 19 to 22 at the Hyatt Regency just outside Washington, D.C.—where it all began 20 years ago at the very first conference!

- Krystle Stricklin

It is that time of year again to try to recap all of the incredible events and experiences of the Portrait Society’s annual The Art of the Portrait conference, which took place this year April 19 to 22 at the Hyatt Regency just outside Washington, D.C.—where it all began 20 years ago at the very first conference! To celebrate this extraordinary milestone, nearly 1,000 artists from around the world came together for a weekend of learning and sharing, through unforgettable encounters and lasting experiences.

SO MUCH TO SEE, SO MUCH TO DO

With a jampacked four-day conference, it’s impossible to recount all of the amazing demonstrations, workshops and panels that occurred over the course of the weekend, but here are a few of the most-talked-about highlights. Opening night on Thursday began with the crowd-pleasing Face Off event, where 18 artists painted simultaneously in groups of three. This year our participating artists were Anna Rose Bain, Wende Caporale, Judith Carducci, Rick Casali, Casey Childs, Michelle Dunaway, Rose Frantzen, James Gurney, Jeffrey Hein, Quang Ho, David Kassan, Daniel Keys, Ricky Mujica, Mario Robinson, Mary Sauer, Adrienne Stein, Jennifer Welty and Elizabeth Zanzinger. In keeping with one of our new traditions, we asked fellow artists Linda Brandon, Joseph Daily, Virgil Elliott, Liz Lindstrom, Michael Mentler and Howard Lyon to take a turn on the other side of the easel and sit as models for the event. There is a long history of artists painting artists, and we are delighted to be a part of that historic practice. Thursday is also the best day to check out the Exhibit Hall where our dedicated vendors are there to answer any and all questions about your favorite products and services.