Now open to the public, the Obama Presidential Center has, from its inception, envisioned the arts as a core part of its mission. This commitment builds upon the legacy that President and Mrs. Obama instilled at the White House, making it the “People’s House” by opening its doors to diverse voices, disciplines, and perspectives.
The commissioned art collection at the Center carries this ethos forward, amplifying its impact through vibrant public arts programming that brings the collection to life in dynamic and accessible ways.
María Magdalena Campos-Pons' commission, Still Holding the Scent of Flowers (2026), is a mixed-media installation of the White House Rose Garden, near the replica of the Oval Office in the Museum exhibits. The work, which Campos-Pons describes as "a firework of diversities," weaves roses, tulips, magnolias, pink and blue hyacinths, carrots, broccoli, herbs, and apple tree blossoms into a meditation on the American landscape, drawing on the history of the garden and Mrs. Obama’s focus on healthy eating. Campos-Pons’ interpretation of the White House Rose Garden is inscribed in bloom forever as a symbol of memory, renewal, diversity, and hope.
Campos-Pons has remarked that these commissions send "a clear message that art is fundamental to maintaining a healthy society, as a tool for education, and for unifying and celebrating diversity of traditions, viewpoints, and concepts... Art is the representation and the materialization of the human soul and the human spirit. It is what makes us human."
Spanning the full breadth of the campus, the new commissions place art within spaces where people gather, commune, and connect, embedding a wide range of cultural traditions and materials into the fabric of everyday life at the Center. The artists bring together Indigenous drum-making, Afro-Asian Cuban symbolism, conceptual photography, industrial materials, historic ephemera, and locally rooted inclusive design, united by a shared investment in place, memory, and community.
“As a collective, they showcase the depth and breadth of President and Mrs. Obama’s commitment to public art and artists whose practices illuminate the complexities of place, identity, and belonging,” said Dr. Louise Bernard, Founding Director of the Obama Presidential Center Museum. “Their contributions will anchor the Center in a vibrant artistic legacy that speaks to the values President and Mrs. Obama championed: openness, engagement, and a profound respect for the diverse stories that shape our nation. Each artist brings a distinct voice and practice that transforms our public spaces into places of reflection, joy, and connection.”
Campos-Pons' work joins commissions by other artists, including Lindsay Adams, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Mark Bradford, Tyanna J. Buie, Nekisha Durrett, Spencer Finch, Theaster Gates, Jeffrey Gibson, Jay Heikes, Jenny Holzer, Richard Hunt, Rashid Johnson, Jules Julien, Idris Khan, Maya Lin, Hugo McCloud, Julie Mehretu, Aliza Nisenbaum, Jack Pierson, Martin Puryear, Alison Saar, Lorna Simpson, Kiki Smith, Norman Teague, Carrie Mae Weems, and collaborations between Nick Cave and Marie Watt, and Sam Kirk and Dorian Sylvain.
Together, these artists expand the Center’s mission to weave art into civic life, reflecting the Obamas’ longstanding commitment to public art.
The artist commissions are curated by Virginia Shore, Curator of the Obama Presidential Center Art Commissions.
