COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), in partnership with the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA), is pleased to announce that Warith Taha has been awarded the 2024 Aminah Robinson Residency.
Designed to honor Columbus artist Aminah Robinson, the residency is nationally focused and provides an African American professional visual artist residing in the United States the opportunity to live and work in Robinson’s restored Shepard neighborhood home, and to devote dedicated time to creating art within Robinson’s studio there.
Warith Taha (he/him) is a visual artist from Oakland, California. He received a BA in sociology from Boston College in 2009 and an MFA in painting from Tyler School of Art and Architecture in 2020. He has served as a visiting assistant professor in painting and drawing at Dickinson College and University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He’s taken part in residencies with the Cave Canem Poetry Fellowship in Brooklyn, NXTHVN Studio in New Haven and Headland Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California. He’s also exhibited work at the Hampton Museum in Miami, Sean Kelly Gallery in New York, M+B Gallery in Los Angeles and many others.
Taha’s practice draws from a diverse field of research ranging from abstraction to collage, Black family photos to found domestic objects, self-portraiture to memory. These points of interest become anchors in an ongoing autobiographical exploration that often touches on his relationship to American history, race, gender, sexuality and class.
“In the genre-bending and innovative work of Aminah Robinson I see an artist, who like myself, is interested in how one might self-define an art medium for themselves,” said Taha in his application for the residency. “In the process of defining a medium, artists have the opportunity to also define who they are. At its core my art practice is a personal attempt at taking full responsibility for my own existence. … I believe this is how Aminah Robinson used her art and I would be honored to continue this path of self-discovery under her legacy.”
“The prospect of immersing myself in the studio during this residency excites me and would allow me much-needed time and resources to continue exploring the things my art practice calls me to,” he added. “The uninterrupted stretches of time offered by this residency will provide the space needed for deep reflection, experimentation and the cultivation of new ideas.”
Jurors for the 2024 Aminah Robinson Residency included:
- Mark Cain, Greater Columbus Arts Council board member
- Daniel Marcus, Columbus Museum of Art Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
- Marla McLeod, 2023 Aminah Robinson Artist in Residence
- Jonna Twigg, artist and Columbus Museum of Art board member
- Debra Ubamadu, Aminah Robinson family member
In 2024, the 90-day residency is scheduled for Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 and will include a $15,000 unrestricted award; lodging and studio access are provided free as part of the residency. A community outreach activity is required and the artist will have the opportunity for a public presentation and/or exhibition.
The residency was launched in 2020 alongside a fellowship focused on African American professional visual artists residing in Franklin County. Past residents have included Johnathan Payne (2020), Anthony Peyton Young (2022) and Marla McLeod (2023).
For questions about the residency, contact Vice President for Grants & Community Engagement Alison Barret at abarret@gcac.org, or Director of the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project at the Columbus Museum of Art Deidre Hamlar at Deidre.Hamlar@cmaohio.org.
Mission of the Columbus Museum of Art: To create great experiences with great art for everyone. www.columbusmuseum.org
Mission of the Greater Columbus Arts Council: To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org
The Greater Columbus Arts Council receives major financial support from the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners, the Ohio Arts Council and The Ohio State University.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
