An Overview of The Portraits of Courage Exhibit by President George W. Bush at Epcot

The Portraits of Courage exhibit by President George W. Bush debuted at Epcot’s American Adventure Pavilion on June 9, 2024. We visited the exhibit to take a few photos and provide an overview of what to expect. The collection contains over 60 portraits of service members and veterans who have served our country with honor since 9/11. Since his time in office, President Bush has come to know these heroes personally and hand-painted each portrait.

It’s a tremendous exhibit worth seeing on your next visit to Epcot. The exhibit is scheduled to remain for 12 months. Below, we’ll preview a few photos of what to expect.

Signage and informational pieces for the Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors hang in the foyer of the colonial mansion. I walked through the foyer on my initial visit and completely missed the informational pieces. That was likely out of habit. But had I realized it, I would have stopped to learn more about the pieces beforehand.

The signage below reads:

The men and women highlighted in this exhibit are representative of the approximately five million post-9/11 veterans, each of whom has had unique experiences and unique goals for his or her life back home.

President George Bush and the Bush Institute are committed to supporting these warriors. Through policy work, their Veterans and Military Families programming ensures post-9/11 veterans and their families make successful transitions to civilian life with a focus on gaining meaningful employment and overcoming the invisible wounds.

Nearly all of the warriors featured in this exhibit have participated in one of two wounded warrior sporting events hosted by the Bush Center. The W100K is a 100-kilometer mountain bike ride hosted by President and Mrs. Bush on their ranch near Crawford, Texas. The Warrior Open is a competitive golf tournament hosted in Dallas.

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I painted these men and women as a way to honor their service to the country and to show my respect for their sacrifice and courage.

President George W. Bush

Disney has also installed informational signage about how the Walt Disney Company has saluted the U.S. Military for over 100 years, dating back to Walt and Roy Disney’s time served during World War I.

Veterans can learn more at Heroes Work Here.

After passing through the foyer, you’ll enter the gallery underneath the dome. This is where the Voices of Liberty perform. Since the collection of paintings was so extensive, they were displayed on the walls around the rectangular room. We initially thought they would replace the Creating Traditions exhibit in the American Heritage Gallery, which remains intact.

A few more informational pieces are displayed on the left side of the gallery.

Letters to the President

Since 2013, the Bush Institute has supported the military community with a focus on helping veterans successfully transition to civilian life. These personal notes of gratitue are evidence of the deep connection the Bush family has forged with former service members through their advocacy efforts, in-person events, and ongoing veteran leadership programming.

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Here is one of the letters to the President.

Thank You

Thank you for visiting Portratis of Courage. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning the stories of the warriors featured in this exhibit. Knowing our veterans is the first step to honoring the service and sacrifice of those who wear our nation’s uniform.

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Here is a small sample of the portraits displayed in the gallery. Each painting features a placard highlighting the veteran’s contribution and service.

Other resources highlighted in the exhibit include Veterans Check-In and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. For more information, you might enjoy one of the following:

• The American Adventure Attraction
• The American Pavilion at Epcot
• Regal Eagle Smokehouse Barbecue Review

When planning your day at Epcot, you might also enjoy our list of Epcot attractions and entertainment, our complete guide to Epcot’s World Showcase, or our Epcot Festival Guide.

In the Comments

We hope you’ll have time to see this exhibit! Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments below.