President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host the ceremony on September 7, an Obama spokesperson says

In September, former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will return to the White House for a unique event: more than five years after they left the residence, their official portraits are finally being presented.

According to Hannah Hankins, a representative for the former president, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be the hosts of the ceremony on September 7.

Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley previously unveiled portraits of the former first couple at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

When the museum first revealed that both portraits would be touring the country in 2020, it claimed that the public’s response to them was unprecedented.

The identity of the artist or artists who created the Obamas’ White House portraits is still unknown. It is customary to keep the identity of the artist a secret until the unveiling event.

The White House Historical Association has arranged portraits of recent presidents and first women since 1965, when it negotiated getting a portrait of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

President Jimmy Carter held a ceremony in the East Room in 1978 to reveal the official White House portraits of former President Gerald Ford and former First Lady Betty Ford.

According to the group, Carter later requested not to hold a ceremony, but the majority of other former first couples have done so in the years since leaving office.

The Obamas hosted the unveiling of former president George W. Bush’s and former first lady Barbara Bush’s portraits in May 2012.

At the time, Obama said of the White House, “I think it’s fair to say that every president is acutely aware that we are just temporary residents—we’re renters here.

“Until the end of our lease, we are responsible for the maintenance. But we also leave a little bit of ourselves here.”

Bush expressed his gratitude and quipped, “I am also glad, Mr. President, that you will now be able to gaze at this painting and ask, what would George do?” as you navigate these corridors while grappling with difficult choices.