Meet the Cast of "Portraits Alive!"

Washington D.C. high school students bring the Portrait Gallery's collection to life. Performances Tuesday - Friday, July 28 - August 13, at 2:15pm.

“Portraits Alive!” is an integral part of the education programming at the National Portrait Gallery. Not only does it provide an art- and history-rich seminar environment for the participating students, but it also serves to bring the NPG Teen Ambassadors’ scholarly efforts to the public over several weeks.

This year, the Teen Ambassadors challenged themselves with a diverse collection of portraits and personalities. Interestingly, all of this year’s students except one chose to portray artists (performers, writers, or visual artists). Aliyah Cabbagestalk (right), an entering senior at the Field School here in Washington, chose to portray Muhammad Ali. Although Ali danced in the ring and often recited poetry, his portrait resides in the NPG’s “Champions” gallery of exceptional American athletes.

Chris Schelb (right), a tenth-grader at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, will perform as Allen Ginsberg, the sole writer represented this year, while James Tindle (below), a recent graduate of Booker T. Washington PCS, says of his own choice, “The passion of Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov inspired me to immerse myself in his character and display it for an audience.”

Several of the scholars/performers found muses in singers. Tiana Long (right), a senior at Thurgood Marshall Academy and a veteran of the “Portraits Alive!” program, chose Marian Anderson because of Anderson’s impact on other artists such as Leontyne Price, the subject of Long’s portrayal last year. Ashley Hughes (below), another DC native, is an incoming freshman at Barry University in Miami. She says, “I chose Janis Joplin because of her involvement, her influence, and her controversial personality.”

Chelsey Shelton (right) will be attending Trinity University, Washington, in the fall of 2010. Shelton also chose to pay tribute to a singer: “I chose Selena Perez Quintanilla because I grew up listening to her music. Tejano music is very fun and upbeat. I also chose Selena because her movie gave me a closer look about herself and her life. The best quality of Selena Perez Quintanilla was her charisma and her heart-warming smile.”

The final singer in this year’s group is Denyce Graves, who was studied and will be performed by Tatiana Brown (below). Brown is an upcoming senior at Elizabeth Seton High School, and she counts dancing, writing, rowing, and art among her interests. She says, “I chose Denyce Graves because of her hypnotizing beauty.”

 

Ana-Elisa Gentle (right) is another Teen Ambassador alum, having portrayed Joan Baez in last year’s “Portraits Alive!” installment. This year, Gentle has challenged herself with the role of Tallulah Bankhead. Gentle is a recent graduate of the School Without Walls.

Lauren Walker (below), another Duke Ellington School of the Arts scholar and performer, will be portraying feminist and activist Kate Millett. Walker sees the multifaceted sides of Millett as quite attractive, adding, “Her story exposed me to a new political world that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I’m excited about exploring her story, perspectives and evolution not only as a human but as a woman.”

Justin Chaney (below) will be a freshman this fall at Columbia College in Chicago. He chose to portray renowned African American actor Ira Aldridge. Chaney describes Aldridge’s portrait as that of “a regal African man, donned in majestic cape and gold crown, like an African prince.”