WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery premieres 28 additions to its permanent collection in the 2018–2019 “Recent Acquisitions” exhibition. This year’s presentation is the latest in an annual series and marks just one of the many steps the Portrait Gallery has taken to focus on inclusion in building its collection. While the display features several renowned individuals—from famed baseball player Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) to former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy—it also encourages viewers to learn more about those some may call “hidden figures.”

This year’s selection highlights influencers in medicine, astronomy, music, literature, art, entertainment and sports with portraits made in a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and photographs. The exhibition is on view through Nov. 3, 2019.

These new acquisitions join more than 23,000 works in the Portrait Gallery’s collection, which represents individuals who have made a significant impact on the history and culture of the United States. Subjects include author and political activist Helen Keller, who was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree; songwriter Louie Pérez; singer and performer Celia Cruz; astronomer Edwin Hubble, known for the Hubble sequence that classifies galaxies; historian Rodolfo Acuña; actress Phylicia Rashad; and American businessman Julius Fleischmann.

The exhibition also features a Brigitte Lacombe photograph of award-winning actress and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and an Andy Warhol screenprint of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Also on view are two etchings of playwright Ayad Akhtar by Pakistan-born artist Shahzia Sikander. In total, the Portrait Gallery’s 2018–2019 presentation of “Recent Acquisitions” features 28 artworks, all of which contribute to the nation’s story.

The exhibition is co-curated by Senior Curator of Photographs Ann Shumard; Curator of Painting and Sculpture and Latino Art and History Taína Caragol; Curator of Painting and Sculpture Dorothy Moss; Curator of Prints, Drawings and Media Arts Robyn Asleson; and Associate Curator of Photographs Leslie Ureña.