Michelle Obama’s Portrait Is So Popular The Smithsonian Had To Move It To A Larger Space

People can’t seem to get enough of our forever FLOTUS’ official portrait.

Since Amy Sherald’s striking painting was unveiled back in February, visitors have been pouring in to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to see Michelle Obama in all her glory. In fact, so many folks have converged on the museum, officials decided to relocate the picture to a larger space.

“We’re always changing things up here. Due to the high volume of visitors, we’ve relocated Michelle Obama’s portrait to the 3rd floor in our 20th-Century Americans galleries for a more spacious viewing experience,” the gallery shared on Twitter.

Since Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s portraits were added to the museum’s collection last month, the Smithsonian has seen a huge increase in visitors. According to the gallery, a record 176,700 people visited the institution in February, and another 45,000 stopped by last weekend, many hoping to catch a glimpse of the Obamas’ unique portraits.

Earlier this month, Mrs. Obama met up with a tiny museum visitor who couldn’t get enough of her portrait. After an image of 2-year-old Parker Curry awestruck by the former First Lady’s painting went viral, Mrs. Obama reached out to the toddler and her mother, Jessica Curry.

Little Parker spent 45 minutes with Mrs. Obama and the former FLOTUS told the tot to “keep on dreaming big for yourself…and maybe one day I’ll proudly look up at a portrait of you!”

When her portrait was first unveiled, Mrs. Obama said she was heartened by the thought of girls of color seeing her portrait.

“I’m also thinking about all of the young people, particularly girls and girls of color, who, in years ahead, will come to this place and they will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great American institution,” she said at the time.

And judging by the record-breaking crowds flocking to the National Portrait Gallery to see Mrs. Obama’s painting, her mission to inspire girls of color through this work of art might just be coming true.