Title
To honor, recognize and celebrate Johnathan Payne and congratulate Mr. Payne on being selected as the first Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson resident artist in the City of Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, Memphis, Tennessee-based artist Johnathan Payne has been selected for the first Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Residency, one of two new programs created by the Columbus Museum of Art and the Greater Columbus Arts Council to support African American professional visual artists and to honor the legacy of the beloved Columbus artist - Mr. Payne was selected out of 50 applicants from 24 states; and
WHEREAS, The Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Residency has a national focus; it provides an African American professional visual artist residing in the United States an opportunity to live and work in Ms. Robinson’s restored home; artists are also afforded a chance to devote time creating art within Ms. Robinson’s home studio; and
WHEREAS, the 90-day residency includes a $15,000 award; lodging and studio access is provided free as part of the residency - this residency is the first and only program that is part of the Alliance of Artists Communities network and set in the former home of a female African American artist - the Alliance of Artists Communities is an international association of artist residencies - a diverse field of more than 1,500 programs worldwide that support artists in the development of new creative work; and
WHEREAS, Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson was known for art inspired by the African concept of Sankofa, understanding the past in order to go forward, she created sculpture, large complex work she called RagGonNons, rag paintings, paintings on cloth, drawings and books about her family and community - her goal was to create art that fills the gaps of African and African American history and encourages others to research and document the history of their families and communities for the next generation - she lived and worked in Columbus, Ohio, until her death in 2015; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Payne, a Houston native, earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Rhodes College and a Masters of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from the Yale School of Art; he describes himself as a Southern, African American queer artist working in drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, and weaving - he engages with themes of self-concept, tribalism, mental health, semiotics and the complexities of being a marginal identity, and works with the traditions of geometric abstraction, post-minimalism and fiber sculpture; his work has been exhibited widely and includes but is not limited to: New York City, Memphis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New Haven, Connecticut; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Payne plans to continue an ongoing series in his practice called Constructions, where he will create geometrically patterned collages and paintings out of shredded paper - he also plans to embark on a new series of large-scale, abstract mixed-media works incorporating techniques that include hand-sewing, collage and stencil painting; he also plans to participate in community outreach activities and make a public exhibition during his time in Columbus; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby honor, recognize and celebrate Johnathan Payne and congratulate Mr. Payne on being selected as the first Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson resident artist in the City of Columbus.