How The National Portrait Gallery Is Honoring Chef José Andrés
José Andrés has had quite an impressive year, so much so that we need a Google Doc to keep track of his accomplishments. The Spanish American chef and humanitarian has been spending much of his time on the ground with World Central Kitchen (WCK), his emergency relief organization that's provided millions of meals to people in war-stricken Ukraine. In addition to his efforts abroad, Andrés deployed his WCK volunteers in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian back in September, providing "thousands of meals" to people in need (per Twitter). What's more, Andrés has been nominated for two Emmys (and a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) for his timely new documentary, "We Feed People," which traces the WCK's work in Haiti, Ukraine, and beyond.
As if that wasn't enough, the chef also announced his plans to open a new restaurant in Los Angeles next fall (per Eater). Oh, and he helped come up with a way for astronauts to eat paella in outer space, per his website. To celebrate his impactful philanthropy and seemingly endless capacity for goodwill, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is honoring Andrés with a work of art in his likeness.
Andrés is a 2022 Portrait of a Nation honoree
The halls of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. are lined with renderings of artists, activists, thinkers, and world leaders who have made their mark on the Nation's history, often through their dedication to humanitarianism. Former honorees include the likes of Barack Obama and civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell. Thanks to his work with World Central Kitchen, the Gallery is honoring José Andrés as one of its 2022 Portrait of a Nation honorees, Food & Wine reports. The portrait will be on view starting November 10, alongside those of fellow newly minted honorees Clive Davis, Ava DuVernay, Marian Wright Edelman, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Serena and Venus Williams.
Per Food & Wine, Andrés' portrait comes courtesy of nine months of work from the easel of LA-based painter Kadir Nelson. The oil-on-linen work is dubbed "José Andrés and the Olla de Barro that Feeds the World," and depicts Andrés holding a clay pot filled with stew in the foreground of a flood, a drove of WCK volunteers behind him. "We are incredibly fortunate that these artists have agreed to work with the museum to contribute to the visual history of our nation while celebrating this year's Portrait of a Nation honorees," said the director of curatorial affairs, Rhea L. Combs, in a statement.