The committee responsible for historic preservation at the Colorado Capitol is considering a significant change in the artwork displayed in the building’s third-floor rotunda.
The proposal involves replacing the presidential portraits with paintings of the state’s former governors, a discussion that has gained traction following President Donald Trump’s disparaging comments about his own portrait.
Earlier this year, Trump referred to his portrait as ‘truly the worst,’ leading to its removal and leaving a blank space in the rotunda, which currently features a placard marking his time in the White House.
Dawn DiPrince, the president and CEO of History Colorado, highlighted this moment as an opportunity to rethink the use of the rotunda’s space as the state prepares to celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary next year.
‘Capitols for a state should really be a celebration of the state,’ said DiPrince.
She argued that with Colorado’s 150th birthday approaching, it makes little sense to allocate a major portion of the Capitol’s display to presidential portraits when there is a lack of space for the state’s governors’ portraits.
Currently, only a limited number of gubernatorial portraits are exhibited on a rotating basis on the first floor of the Capitol.
Unlike many other state Capitols, the Colorado Capitol showcases a portrait of every president.
Discussions to replace the paintings of presidents with those of governors were already underway prior to the Trump controversy, but the situation accelerated the conversation.
Former state Senator Lois Court, who chairs the Capitol Building Advisory Committee, acknowledged the Trump portrait removal as an impetus to examine how the space could be utilized.
‘It is, in fact, our state Capitol. It is our space,’ Court remarked.
History Colorado possesses portraits of all but four of Colorado’s governors, with the absence of one depicting current Governor Jared Polis among the missing pieces.
DiPrince suggested that photographs could suffice for the portraits of overlooked governors.
However, the size disparity among the gubernatorial portraits presents another complication, as they do not conform to a uniform size like the presidential ones.
This variance would require careful planning to display the former governors’ artwork on the rotunda’s curved walls.
Additionally, the lesser-known status of Colorado’s former governors compared to national presidents poses a challenge for public appreciation.
Georgi Contiguglia, a former president and CEO of History Colorado and a committee member, emphasized the need for interpretation to accompany any display of the governors’ portraits.
‘Someone would have to develop the interpretation to go along with the governors’ portraits so that those things could be explained and made important to the children and other people who are looking at them,’ she noted.
However, not all committee members are in favor of replacing the presidential portraits with those of the governors.
Some members have referred to the proposal as a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to the Trump saga.
Kurt Morrison, the deputy Colorado attorney general, described the proposal as a ‘very poor reason’ for opening up the discussion.
State Representative William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, echoed this sentiment, stating the Trump episode is likely a unique circumstance.
At the same time, the committee is also contemplating a potential donation of a new portrait of Trump to replace the one he disapproved of, with offers having been made to state leaders.
The original portrait, funded by donations from a Republican campaign, was created by artist Sarah Boardman, who expressed that Trump’s remarks have adversely affected her career and business.
The Capitol Building Advisory Committee has deferred making any final decisions regarding the portraits for the time being.
image source from：coloradosun
