An Overview of The Portraits of Courage Exhibit by President George W. Bush at Epcot
We visited The American Adventure at Epcot recently to observe President George W. Bush’s new Portraits of Courage Exhibit. This 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 was installed on June 9, 2024, and 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 area 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. That exhibit remains intact for the time being.
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 about planning your day at Epcot, you might enjoy one of the following:
- The American Adventure Attraction
- The American Pavilion at Epcot
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse Barbecue Review
We hope you’ll have time to see this exhibit, which will run through June 2025.
