Michelle Obama’s portraitist and ‘96 Tears’

Studio 360
Amy Sherald unveils her portrait of Michelle Obama in 2018 at the National Portrait Gallery, and the 1960s garage band ? and the Mysterians.

Kurt Andersen talks with Amy Sherald, who painted the official Michelle Obama portrait, about her strict religious upbringing, the surreal experience of interviewing with the Obamas and why she’ll only ever paint African Americans. Our latest American Icons feature: “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians, and how the   band of Mexican American teens managed to top the charts and help fuel the growing Latin influence on pop music in the 1960s.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!