One of the nation’s most well-known people with autism is being honored alongside notables like famed director Steven Spielberg and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
Temple Grandin, who is on the spectrum, is one of four people selected for the National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait of a Nation Awards. The honor, which was established in 2015, is given to “extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people across all fields of endeavor.”
Other current winners of the award are Spielberg, Dimon and Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. poet laureate. Portraits of each honoree are on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery.
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“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 at the National Portrait Gallery. “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.”
Grandin is a renowned self-advocate who has written and spoken extensively about autism. She is also an expert on animal handling and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Many of the cattle in this country are handled in facilities Grandin designed.
The oil-on-canvas painting of Grandin by artist David Lenz shows her standing with cows at Waseda Farms, the first facility she designed in Wisconsin for humane cattle-handling practices. A shadow projected in the center of the portrait is meant to symbolize Grandin’s belief that each person is important and able to contribute in unique ways, officials with the museum 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,” Grandin told attendees at a gala in November where the awards were presented. “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.”
Portraits of the award winners will be on exhibit on the first floor of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington through Nov. 8.
