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Painter Patricia Hill Burnett with her portrait of First Lady Betty Ford, which is now part of the permanent collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Image courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

Presidential library gets portrait of Betty Ford

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson

Painter Patricia Hill Burnett with her portrait of First Lady Betty Ford, which is now part of the permanent collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Image courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Painter Patricia Hill Burnett with her portrait of First Lady Betty Ford, which is now part of the permanent collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Image courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – A portrait of former first lady Betty Ford is being placed on permanent display in the lobby of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

Columnist Laura Berman of The Detroit News reports an unveiling of the painting by Patricia Hill Burnett is Tuesday at the library in Ann Arbor. The 93-year-old painter once was Miss Michigan and also is known as a feminist and socialite.

President Gerald Ford died in 2006 and former first lady Betty Ford died in 2011. They lived in Rancho Mirage, California, for decades. Their hometown was Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is located in Grand Rapids.

Elaine Didier, director of the Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum, says the portrait is “one of the prettiest that’s ever been done.”

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Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Painter Patricia Hill Burnett with her portrait of First Lady Betty Ford, which is now part of the permanent collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Image courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Painter Patricia Hill Burnett with her portrait of First Lady Betty Ford, which is now part of the permanent collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Image courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library