Kevin Hopkins ('23 Painting & Art History) recently announced that his work will be included in the Smithsonian's 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. As a part of that selection, his work will hang in the National Portrait Gallery for an exhibition opening at the Smithsonian on May 3, 2025.

"Being included in the exhibition has been both exciting and inspiring! As a primary portrait-based artist, being recognized by the National Portrait Gallery is a dream come true and validates the material moves I've been making recently which I'm also excited for people to see when the exhibition opens," Hopkins told the Kansas City Art Institute following the announcement.

The competition celebrates excellence in the art of portraiture. Every three years, artists living and working in the United States are invited by the Smithsonian to submit one of their recent portraits to a panel of experts.

The selected artworks reflect the compelling and diverse approaches contemporary artists are using to convey their personal and collective stories through portraiture.

Note: Hopkins' selected artworks has not yet been revealed. It will be shared once the exhibition opens and all competition entries have been unveiled.

Kevin Hopkins, Pooki Simmons [Out and About]

Kevin Hopkins, Wop Wop Wop

Hopkins [b. 2000, Beaufort, South Carolina] is a painter and performance artist based in Richmond, Virginia. Hopkins conjures characters activated by Southern traditions, pop culture, drag, and humor and creates narratives that blend our space with his imagined world. His practice explores the intersection of these notions of worldbuilding and works to culminate in a cohesive story.

Hopkins gained international recognition as a 2020, 2021, and 2022 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grantee and national accolades, including being a 2021 AXA Art Prize finalist and - now - as a 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Finalist.

Hopkins earned his BFA in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2023 and is currently pursuing his MFA in Painting/Printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University.

"I am incredibly grateful to my mentors, past instructors, family, friends, and the 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition jurors. So many people have and continue to push me forward — I hope I'm making them proud!" Hopkins said.