The Columbus Museum of Art (CMA), in partnership with the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), has announced April Sunami as the recipient of the 2026 Aminah Robinson Artist Fellowship. Beginning January 1, 2026, Sunami will undertake a three-month residency in Aminah Robinson’s restored Shepard neighborhood home studio. The fellowship includes an unrestricted $15,000 cash award and the opportunity to collaborate on a community outreach project with the CMA. During her residency, Sunami plans to create three large-scale mixed media works inspired by the Yoruba goddesses Yemaya, Oshun, and Oya, exploring themes of the divine feminine, resilience, and transformation through layered storytelling.

The Aminah Robinson Artist Fellowship aims to honor the artistic legacy of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson and support contemporary African American artists in Franklin County. Sunami, a multimedia artist known for her focus on Black women as subjects and her use of mixed media including beads, stones, and glass, stated her intention to carry forward Robinson’s spirit of storytelling and material experimentation. This fellowship is part of the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project, established by CMA in 2020 to preserve and promote Robinson’s contributions to art and culture.

Source: https://www.columbusmuseum.org/newsroom/posts/april-sunami-awarded-2026-aminah-robinson-fellowship