National Portrait Gallery Honors Jamie Dimon, Temple Grandin, Joy Harjo and Steven Spielberg at the 2025 Portrait of a Nation Gala

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery presented the 2025 Portrait of a Nation Awards Saturday, Nov. 15, to four new honorees for their transformative contributions to American history and culture. The honorees were Jamie Dimon, seasoned business leader; Temple Grandin, distinguished professor, inventor and groundbreaking researcher of animal science; Joy Harjo, internationally renowned Mvskoke (Creek) poet, performer and writer and the 23rd U.S. poet laureate; and Steven Spielberg, Academy Award-winning director, producer and writer. The presentations took place at the Portrait of a Nation Gala, a black-tie fundraiser founded in 2015 to support the museum’s mission. More than 360 esteemed guests from across industries attended the Gala’s 10th anniversary, held at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Newly acquired and commissioned portraits of the honorees will go on view at the Portrait Gallery later this year and will remain on view through Oct. 25, 2026, as part of the “Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees” exhibition. 

“Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees” is curated by Rhea L. Combs, director of curatorial affairs for the Portrait Gallery. The exhibition will feature two commissioned portraits, one of honoree Grandin, by artist David Lenz, and one of honoree Spielberg, by artist Kate Capshaw. Newly acquired works include a photograph of Dimon, by Jason Alden, and a work on paper of Harjo, by Joel Daniel Phillips, which has never been shown publicly. 

“The Portrait of a Nation Award was established to emphasize that history is made by those among us,” said Elliot Gruber, acting director of the National Portrait Gallery. “It is a true pleasure to recognize this year’s honorees with newly acquired and commissioned portraits that not only commemorate their accomplishments but also speak to how portraiture can represent the creativity and ingenuity of both the artist and the sitter.” 

Presentations of the Portrait of a Nation Awards were made by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and aerospace company Blue Origin, owner of The Washington Post, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist (Dimon); Emily Gerson Saines, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer and founder and president of Brookside Artist Management; Claire Danes, award-winning actress and producer (Grandin); Sandra Cisneros, poet, short story writer, novelist and essayist (Harjo); and Amy Sherald, artist (Spielberg). Select remarks from the honorees and Smithsonian leadership are included below. 

Proceeds from the Portrait of a Nation Gala will strengthen the museum’s operations and endowment. Lead sponsors of the 2025 Portrait of a Nation Gala include General Dynamics, JPMorganChase and David M. Rubenstein. Host Committee members include Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Embassy of the State of Qatar in the United States, General Catalyst and Teresa Carlson, Michael Hollander, Robert and Arlene Kogod, Tradeweb and Nicole Washington. The founding chairs are Wayne and Catherine Reynolds. 

The “Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees” exhibition is supported by the Portrait of a Nation Gala Endowment. For more information, visit the museum's website.

Note to the Editors: 

Highlights from honorees:

Jamie Dimon, business leader, said:

“Thank you to the Smithsonian and National Portrait Gallery for this honor and for celebrating the people and the stories that define the vision and the spirit of America.”

Temple Grandin, distinguished professor, inventor and groundbreaking researcher of animal science, said:

“When I look at the names being honored tonight—Jamie Dimon, Joy Harjo and Steven Spielberg—I’m reminded that success comes in many forms. Each of them represents a different kind of mind: a business mind, a poetic mind, a storytelling mind and a visual, problem-solving mind. Together, they show that innovation happens when diverse thinkers bring their strengths to the table.”

Joy Harjo, internationally renowned Mvskoke (Creek) poet, performer and writer and the 23rd U.S. poet laureate, said:

“[My] earliest mentors and teachers remain my foundation. Without them, and many others along the way I would not be here as a Portrait of a Nation honoree. I acknowledge my Mvskoke Nation people. Our tribal nation has been cited as the oldest world democracy. They are my heartbeat. I am also indebted to the extensive genealogy of American poets, musicians and artists who continue to teach and inspire me, to all the singers and healers for justice.”

Steven Spielberg, Academy Award-winning director, producer and writer, said:

“The art that the National Portrait Gallery showcases offers all of us a snapshot of who we are as individuals, as well as the parts we play in the history of this nation’s most valued institution. And, what humbles me is that I now have the honor of being one small part of your history.”

Highlights from Smithsonian leadership:

Elliot Gruber, acting director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, said:

“The National Portrait Gallery exists to celebrate the people who shape our nation and remind us what America can be. To our honorees, thank you for lending your light to this institution. Your contributions will become part of a living collection—shared with millions of visitors and held in the hearts of all who gathered here tonight. You remind us that leadership and artistry take many forms, and that each of us has a part to play in shaping the portrait of this nation. To our artists, whose remarkable vision captures our lives and ideals—your work brings our mission to life. Through your eyes, we see our nation’s character in its most human form.”

Michael Hollander, chair of the National Portrait Gallery’s board of commissioners, said:

“The National Portrait Gallery stands at the crossroads of art and history, and tonight we pay tribute to those whose vision and artistry continue to shape the unfolding story of our nation. Their contributions remind us that the portrait of America continues to evolve, shaped by every artist and by every viewer who discovers meaning in their work. This year marks a milestone as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Portrait of a Nation Gala. When this event was first envisioned in 2015, it set out to do something rare—to unite art, conversation and community on a national level. Since the gala’s inception, we’ve had the privilege of honoring 23 individuals or groups who have made a profound impact on every facet of America’s social fabric.”

Portrait of a Nation Award

Established in 2015, the Portrait of a Nation Awards honor extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people.

Past recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Award include: Henry “Hank” Aaron, Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, Aretha Franklin, Carolina Herrera and Maya Lin (2015); Madeleine K. Albright, David D. Ho, M.D., Bill T. Jones, Spike Lee and Rita Moreno (2017); Frances Arnold, Jeffrey P. Bezos, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Indra Nooyi and Anna Wintour (2019); and José Andrés, Clive Davis, Ava DuVernay, Marian Wright Edelman, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Serena Williams and Venus Williams (2022).

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.

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