A portrait of Michigan U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow was unveiled Wednesday during a ceremony on Capitol Hill.
A portrait of Michigan U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, was unveiled Wednesday during a ceremony on Capitol Hill.
The oil painting, measuring 40 by 52 inches, depicts a smiling, red-headed Stabenow in a teal jacket surrounded by fruits and vegetables like berries, pumpkins and apples ― a nod to both the diversity of crops grown in Michigan and also her work adding a new section to the farm bill to provide ongoing support for such « specialty » crops.
The painting, now hanging in the Ag committee room in the Russell Senate Office Building, was painted by Michigan artist Joshua Risner and commissioned by the nonprofit Historical Society of Michigan. The society also raised the money for the portrait and no taxpayer dollars were used for the artwork, according to Stabenow’s office.
In remarks before the unveiling, the senator admitted it would be « a little strange » to be in the committee room, looking up at herself hanging on the wall.
« When I was growing up in Claire, a small town on the way up north, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be standing here talking about a portrait of mine, going to a committee room in the United States Senate, » Stabenow said.
« I’m so honored and grateful to have had the opportunities that I have had and to continue to have those opportunities to tell the world about Michigan — and the fact that we grow more diversity of crops than any state but California. How many times have you guys heard me say that? »
The portrait unveiling comes as the Congress prepares to write and adopt another five-year farm bill later this year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak and Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, the top republican on the Ag panel, both spoke at the portrait ceremony, as well as Jim Byrum, former president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association.
