Artists create self-portraits for a variety of reasons: the lack of other subjects, the inability to compensate models, the desire to understand the self, the need to demonstrate skill, the wish to evade mortality, etc. This exhibition is conceived in two complementary parts. The first provides an overview of historical American self-portrait drawings from local collections; this survey will provide context for a small selection of Bo Bartlett drawings from the Center’s collection. The second part will display very recent self-portraits from across the country. Together, the two halves of the exhibition will provide visual evidence to students and visitors of different styles through time as well as of changing ideas about the self.