A Maryland artist whose portraits of Historic Sotterley descendants hung at St. Mary’s College of Maryland last year will paint the college’s official portrait of President Emerita Tuajuanda C. Jordan.
St. Mary’s College announced Oct. 13 that it chose Nicole Stewart for the commission. The portrait is scheduled to be unveiled in February 2027. The college said more details on the unveiling will come as plans are finalized.
Jordan led the college from 2014 to 2025. She was followed by Rhonda Phillips, who became the college’s eighth president on July 1, 2025.
Ties to Southern Maryland
Stewart is a Maryland native, and the college pointed to her existing ties to the area. In 2025, St. Mary’s Boyden Gallery showed a preview of her exhibition “Sharing Our Common Humanity from Common Ground,” which features portraits of descendants of Historic Sotterley in Hollywood. Her Historic Sotterley Descendants Portrait Project is expected to continue through early 2027.
Locally, Stewart is represented as a painter by North End Gallery in Leonardtown, which marked its 40th anniversary this year.
Stewart paints portraits and landscapes in a realist style. According to the college, she works on location, with live models and from references, aiming to capture the character and mood of her subjects. She has twice won The Art League of Alexandria, Virginia’s Gilham Award for Portraiture. Her work is in private and public collections in the United States and Europe.
Her work can be followed on Facebook and Instagram.
