Cupcake Katy by Will Cotton; 2010; Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, promised gift of the James Dicke Family
Will Cotton/Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Katy Perry is getting an honor usually reserved for later in life. Her portrait is joining the collection at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
The museum said Wednesday that a 2010 portrait of Perry by artist Will Cotton, entitled “Cupcake Katy,” will go on view beginning June 18. It will be part of a rotating display of recently acquired portraits. The tongue-in-cheek picture depicts Perry as a cupcake.
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Perry previously collaborated with Cotton on the design for her “California Girls” music video.
Museum Director Kim Sajet (Sayet) says Perry comes from a tradition of strong women entertainers who challenge their supposedly superficial pop personas. She says on closer look, Perry is a complex figure.
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Other pop stars in the Smithsonian collection include Beyonce, Madonna and Michael Jackson.