A Legacy of Portraiture
The Founding of Portraits, Inc.
As she was hosting these events, Mrs. Shaw quickly realized that portrait artists had no special gallery to exhibit their work. Dedicating a room in her gallery exclusively to fine portraiture, she announced a new service called “The Portrait Painters’ Clearing House.” In 1942, she officially founded Portraits, Inc. Mrs. Shaw’s engaging personality and philanthropic spirit helped to quickly bring portraiture back in vogue in America.
Fostering Artistic Renaissance
Shaw’s idea was a unique venture, a real innovation. Portraits, Inc. soon became the venue for several well-received benefit theme exhibitions; the first of which was “Portraits of Warriors,” relating to World War II, then in progress. Later exhibitions included “Family Portraits of New Yorkers” and “Portraits of Personalities,” all bridging the gap from the fine portraiture of the past to that of the contemporary field. Portraits, Inc. hosted the first Wyeth family show in the late 1940s, shortly after N.C. Wyeth’s death. A tremendous success, the show helped the Wyeth name gain prominence.
Honoring Tradition, Embracing Innovation
A true pioneer in the exclusive representation of fine portrait artists, Portraits, Inc. firmly established its position as the world’s most esteemed portrait company in the ensuing decades. With a roster that includes virtually every major portrait painter and portrait sculptor in the world, the company’s mission from the outset has been to restore fine portraiture to its historic position in the fine arts. For more than 80 years, clientele have included the foremost names in the worlds of business, the professions, the arts, academia, and society.
Evolution and Expansion
In 2009, Beverly McNeil and Julia Baughman, then owners of Portraits, Inc., merged the company with the nationwide organization Portrait Brokers of America, and the company’s corporate headquarters relocated to Birmingham, Alabama. Two years later, another agency, The Portrait Source, led by Ruth Reeves joined the Portraits, Inc. name. With these mergers, the company’s footprint expanded significantly through its network of sales associates across the U.S. In 2022, the company was purchased by former Portraits, Inc. President Bebe Barnard and Vice President Jennifer Gray. Now, with dynamic new ownership, an expanded client base, and its continuing roster of the world’s foremost portrait painters and sculptors, there is an exceptionally bright future for this unique American institution.
