The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) and the Columbus Museum of Art named multimedia artist April Sunami as the 2026 Aminah Robinson Artist Fellow. Sunami began a three-month residency in Robinson’s restored Shepard neighborhood home studio on January 1, accompanied by an unrestricted $15,000 award and the opportunity to participate in a community outreach project with the museum.

During her fellowship, Sunami is creating three large-scale mixed-media works honoring Yoruba goddesses—Orishas Yemeja, Oshun, and Oya—using seed beads, stones, glass, and other materials. The project centers on stories of resilience and transformation and is designed to foster communal dialogue, zine-making, and collaborative creative play. A Columbus-based painter, muralist, installation artist, and curator, Sunami holds work in permanent collections at the Columbus Museum of Art, the Columbus Convention Center, and the National African American Museum and Cultural Center. She has exhibited internationally at the Cuba Biennial and the National Theatre in Accra, Ghana.

The Aminah Robinson Artist Fellowship supports African American artists in Franklin County, honoring the legacy of the Columbus artist who bequeathed her estate—including her home studio—to the Columbus Museum of Art upon her death in 2015. CMA established the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project in 2020. Sunami was selected by a jury that included CMA board members, former fellows, and scholars. The Legacy Project also supports an annual African American Writer/Scholar/Researcher Residency, with each fellow receiving a $15,000 award and three-month studio residency.

Source: Greater Columbus Arts Council