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Laura Bush (born 1946)
Born Midland, Texas
First Lady 2001-2009
When Laura Lane Welch Bush entered the White House, she had been advocating for childhood literacy for decades. Having begun her career as an elementary school teacher, she went on to earn a master's degree in library science and then worked as a school librarian. As first lady, she established the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, which still provides funds to school libraries that are affected by economic hardship and natural disasters.
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Bush became the "comforter in chief" for many people in the United States. The two wars that followed often obscured her efforts to focus on children's education and women's welfare.
In this portrait, the Siberian-born, Texas-based artist Aleksander Titovets portrays Bush in the private quarters of the White House, as though she has been interrupted while reading.
Aleksander Titovets (born 1960)
Oil on canvas, 2008
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Stewart |