The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) has announced the delay of an exhibition tied to its triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition as the Smithsonian Institution braces for the possibility of a lengthy government shutdown.
The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today exhibition was slated to open on Saturday, October 18, and run until August 30, 2026. Artists were informed of the postponement in a letter dated October 7, which was shared with Hyperallergic.
“We will announce a new date for the opening events and exhibition once funding issues are resolved,” stated the letter from Elliot Gruber, the acting director of NPG. Gruber succeeded long-term director Kim Sajet, who stepped down in June following accusations of partisanship from Trump on his Truth Social platform.
A museum spokesperson conveyed to Hyperallergic that the decision to “proactively postpone” the opening was made to allow artists and participants ample time to adjust travel and accommodation plans should delays arise.
“Depending on the state of the museum’s operations, we may require additional time to finalize the installation currently in progress. We will set a new opening date once we are able to reopen, especially if the situation develops into a prolonged closure,” the NPG spokesperson mentioned.
This decision comes amidst an ongoing government shutdown and follows months of intense scrutiny of the Smithsonian by the Trump administration. Last week, the institution confirmed it has sufficient funding from private trusts and previous federal allocations to continue operating its 21 museums and zoo up until this Saturday, October 11.
The Outwin Competition attracts thousands of entries nationwide, offering a rare opportunity for artists to receive commission from the NPG. U.S. artists aged 18 or older, including those residing in territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa, are encouraged to submit their recent portraits for evaluation by a panel of judges. The first-place winner is awarded a $25,000 prize and the chance to create a portrait of a significant living American for the museum, while second- and third-place winners receive smaller cash prizes.
This year’s finalists include David Antonio Cruz, Kameron Neal, and Jared Soares. The announcement of the winners’ rankings was intended to coincide with the exhibition’s opening.
Previous Outwin prize recipients consist of presidential portrait artist Amy Sherald and illustrator Hugo Crosthwaite. Their works were notably mentioned in a White House memo issued this summer, marking the first woman and first African-American to win the award in 2016 and the first Latino to do so in 2019, respectively.
Participating artist Edra Soto reflected on the importance of exhibitions like the one at the National Portrait Gallery, stating, “Their democratic and open call approach remains one of the most respected ways to present art. The postponed or temporary closure of the exhibition further underscores our current fragile state.”
The government shutdown reached its ninth day on October 9, as a Republican-backed proposal failed for the seventh time in the Senate. The National Gallery of Art has closed due to funding issues, alongside many National Park sites nationwide also shutting their doors.
