Exhibition of Never-Before-Seen and Newly Acquired Portraits Opens Dec. 12
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present “Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees” Dec. 12, featuring the four recipients of the museum’s 2025 Portrait of a Nation Awards. Established in 2015, the Portrait of a Nation Awards honor extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people across all fields of endeavor. The honorees were presented with their awards at the 10th anniversary of the Portrait of a Nation Gala on Nov. 15, a ticketed fundraiser that supports the museum’s operations and endowment. Their portraits will be on view on the museum’s first floor Dec. 12 through Nov. 8, 2026. Admission is free.
The honorees are:
- Jamie Dimon, business leader, by photographer Jason Alden
- Temple Grandin, distinguished professor, inventor and groundbreaking researcher of animal science, by artist David Lenz
- Joy Harjo, internationally renowned poet, performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and 23rd U.S. poet laureate, by artist Joel Daniel Phillips
- Steven Spielberg, Academy Award-winning director, producer and writer, by artist Kate Capshaw
The exhibition will feature the premiere of two commissioned portraits, one of honoree Temple Grandin and another of honoree Steven Spielberg, and two newly acquired portraits of honoree Jamie Dimon and honoree Joy Harjo.
“This year’s Portrait of a Nation Award honorees represent a few of the many disciplines of innovation that have shaped the nation’s trajectory and are reflected in the museum’s collection of more than 26,000 works,” said Rhea L. Combs, director of curatorial affairs. “Furthermore, these portraits offer a glimpse into the dynamic relationship between sitters and artists that has defined the genre of portraiture over time. When viewing these artworks, audiences will discover new sides of four luminaries—each of whom has greatly impacted American life—thanks to the artists’ distinct and inspired interpretations.”
“Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees” will premiere “Brocken Spectre and Glory: Portrait of Temple Grandin,” a 2022 commissioned painting of Grandin by Lenz, who received first prize in the Portrait Gallery’s inaugural Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition in 2006. The painting depicts Grandin standing with cows at Waseda Farms, which built the first Grandin-designed facility in Wisconsin for humane cattle-handling practices. A ring of light and colors, an atmospheric phenomenon known as a “brocken spectre and glory,” shines in the background, while the viewer’s projected shadow in the center symbolizes Grandin’s belief that every person is important and can contribute to society in unique ways.
Also debuting will be “The Picture Maker,” a newly commissioned portrait of Academy Award-winning director, producer and writer Spielberg by contemporary artist Capshaw. The work combines film projection and oil painting on canvas with dimensions chosen by Capshaw to reflect the 1:33 aspect ratio—mirroring the proportions of Spielberg’s first medium, 8mm film. The projection, created by Capshaw, incorporates new material and archival clips from films Spielberg made in his teens and early 20s. These 8 mm, 16 mm and 35 mm movies have not been publicly presented before.
The commissions will be on view alongside a newly acquired portrait of accomplished business leader Dimon, taken by London-based photographer Alden in 2023. Dimon had just completed an interview with Bloomberg Television when Alden recorded this portrait on the sidelines of the JPMorgan Tech Stars Leadership Forum. Also presented is a newly acquired drawing of Harjo by contemporary artist Phillips that has never been shown publicly. Harjo and Phillips met during an artist residency in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the inspiration behind her portrait was born. The drawing, made with charcoal, graphite and ink, depicts Harjo, a three-time poet laureate for the United States, wearing a traditional native skirt and holding a saxophone as a tribute to her Mvskoke (Creek) heritage and her creative spirit as an internationally renowned poet, performer and writer.
“Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees” has been made possible through the Portrait of a Nation Gala Endowment.
National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. Spanning the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the nation’s story.
The National Portrait Gallery is located at Eighth and G streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Connect with the museum at npg.si.edu and on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
