COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus artist Beverly Whiteside was selected out of 30 applicants for the 2023 Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Fellowship, one of two programs created by the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) and the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA), to support African American, professional visual artists and honor the legacy of the beloved Columbus artist and MacArthur Fellow.
Launched in 2019 along with a separate national artist residency, the fellowship celebrates the legacy of Columbus artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson by recognizing the exemplary work of a Columbus-based African American visual artist. In 2022 both programs were made possible with the financial support of Loann Crane.
Beverly Whiteside is a Columbus-based mixed media artist who graduated with a Bachelor’s in education from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s in education from Ohio Dominican University. She was employed as a dance education specialist at Fair Avenue Arts Impact School, where she shared her love for visual art and creative dance movement with children, and she served in Serendipity Lab’s Artist in Residency program in 2020. Her work can currently be seen at the James Cancer Hospital’s James Gallery, the new Hilton Downtown Tower, at the Dayton Art Institute and many other galleries, museums and corporate spaces.
“I can just say that I was immensely grateful,” said Whiteside, upon learning that she won the fellowship. “I was riding along in my car singing, I had just left my spin class. Alison [Barret, GCAC grants and services director] called and gave me the news about the fellowship. I cried. I always wanted to make Aminah proud of my work and accomplishments. I will always remember her words: ‘Stay on the path!’ I feel her spirit in many pieces of my work. I hope to use the fellowship to develop larger works. I will embark on an art-study travel journey.”
Jurors for the fellowship included:
- Queen Brooks, artist and 2020 recipient of GCAC’s Raymond J. Hanley Award
- Richard Duarte Brown, artist and 2022 recipient of the Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Fellowship
- Mike Bukach, civic leader and GCAC board member
- Vesta A.H. Daniel, Professor Emerita, Arts Administration, Education, and Policy, The Ohio State University
- Dr. Carole Genshaft, CMA Curator-at-Large
The fellowship runs Jan. 3 – Apr. 3, 2023, and includes a $15,000 unrestricted grant, access to Aminah’s in-home studio and community outreach activities.
The Columbus Museum of Art also received applications for its national residency program – the Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Writer, Scholar, Researcher residency. Applications are currently being reviewed by a jury and the winner of the residency will be announced by the museum in January.
Mission of the Columbus Museum of Art: To intentionally set the stage to experience art, ideas and relationships that spark creativity and nurture collective, courageous imagination. 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 and the Ohio Arts Council.
For translations of this release and other pages, please see the dropdown menu at the top right corner of gcac.org.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
