Each honoree this year was chosen for their efforts in making the last three years "easier or more about community," says gallery director Kim Sajet.
Andrés, a restauranteur and humanitarian who has brought his World Central Kitchen to places around the world in need of aid, most recently Ukraine, gave an impassioned speech on the power of food to heal communities.
At its core, the Portrait of a Nation galas and exhibits are a way to reevaluate who deserves to be remembered and ensure that a museum representing portraits of influential Americans throughout history accurately represents the whole of America.
"I was so struck by awe," Venus Williams said onstage of walking through the museum and seeing her likeness alongside other significant American figures. "When you see the portraits, you realize history matters and what you do matters."
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