Many of today's emerging artists are using portraiture of self-portraiture to explore complex issues of identity. At the same time, those artists are also testing the boundaries of the genre of figurative art. Others are finding success through a renewed attention to classical training in representational art. Artists who regularly create portraits on commission are also experiencing a higher level of interest in their work.<BR>The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2006 brings together work that exemplifies these trends. Selected from more than 4,000 initial entries - from every state in the union - by a jury of experts, the fifty-one exhibited portraits provide clear evidence of the strength of portraiture in today's world, and signal the National Portrait Gallery's increased commitment to contemporary art and today's Americans.