The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., will showcase newly commissioned and acquired portraits honoring four prominent American figures in its upcoming exhibition "Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees." The exhibition features acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, renowned scientist Temple Grandin, and celebrated poet Joy Harjo. The show opens December 12 and will run through November of next year.
The exhibition follows last month's Portrait of a Nation Gala, during which the institution raised funds for its operations and endowment. The National Portrait Gallery has faced challenges following the politically charged departure of director Kim Sajet in June. Despite these institutional changes, the museum continues its mission to celebrate American achievement through portraiture.
Rhea L. Combs, the museum's director of curatorial affairs, emphasized the significance of this year's honorees in a statement. "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," Combs said. "Furthermore, these portraits offer a glimpse into the dynamic relationship between sitters and artists that has defined the genre of portraiture over time."
The Steven Spielberg portrait stands out as a particularly innovative piece, commissioned specifically by the National Portrait Gallery. Created by his wife, Kate Capshaw, the artwork uniquely combines oil painting with projected film materials, including never-before-seen archival clips from Spielberg's teenage years and early twenties. This multimedia approach reflects the filmmaker's own artistic medium while creating a traditional portrait format.
Jamie Dimon's portrait, captured by London-based photographer Jason Alden, carries additional significance given the business leader's complex relationship with Donald Trump. Dimon has maintained an alternately contentious and cooperative stance with Trump, whose policies have created turbulence for the Smithsonian Institution, of which the National Portrait Gallery is a part. This political context adds layers of meaning to Dimon's inclusion in the exhibition.
The remaining two portraits showcase different artistic approaches and subjects. Joy Harjo, who served as the nation's poet laureate from 2019 to 2022, is depicted in a drawing by artist Joel Daniel Phillips. Temple Grandin's portrait, painted by David Lenz, shows the animal behaviorist and autism activist standing alongside cows in a specialized cattle-handling facility that she helped design, directly connecting her image to her groundbreaking work.
Combs noted that these artistic interpretations reveal new dimensions of the honorees' personalities and achievements. "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," she explained.
The exhibition opens amid ongoing changes at the National Portrait Gallery following former director Kim Sajet's departure. Sajet left the institution after Trump claimed to have fired her over issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. She has since taken a new position as director of the Milwaukee Art Museum in September, marking a significant transition period for the Washington institution.
