Title
To commemorate Columbus City Council’s 2019 Black History Program by honoring and celebrating the lifetime achievements and contributions of Queen Brooks as a transformational leader in the area of Arts & Entertainment.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus and the members of Columbus City Council are proud to honor and celebrate the legends, legacies, and trailblazers of this community as they represent the prosperity and the transformational leadership that has come to define the tradition of excellence that is Columbus; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council’s 2019 Black History Program is proud to honor the legacy and transformational leadership of Queen Brooks as a transformational leader in the arts and the greater Columbus community at large; and
WHEREAS, Queen Brooks renowned for use of vibrant colors, and texture is being recognized for her accomplishments in the area of Arts & Entertainment because she’s has established a reputation as one of central Ohio’s most active artists and one of Ohio’s best-known African-American artists - her one-woman show of abstract paintings and wood assemblages are among the nation’s finest collections; and
WHEREAS, Queen began her art career as a photographer and as an arts and crafts instructor; she expanded into wood-burning art, paintings and mixed media assemblages - later returning to school she graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.F.A. and M.F.A. degree in art - she’s won the Lila Wallace, Reader’s Digest International Artist Award, which granted her a residency in the French port city of Abidjan in the Republic of the Ivory Coast, West Africa and her work is included in the collections of the King Arts Complex; Ohio Dominican, Otterbein, Capital Universities, and others - she was one of seven local artists and sculptors that contributed to the original design and construction of the Kwanzaa playground, a joint effort between the community and the City of Columbus in 1995 - the park is designed in the shape of a human being, representing the first ancestor and focused on positive African-American images, recognizing that "It takes a whole village to raise a child," - known locally as the Children's Afrocentric Playground, the park was renovated in 2014 and includes a new portal designed by the Queen - the renovations now contain steel for improved longevity; and
WHEREAS, Queen’s honors and awards include the Ohioana Career Award, the highest recognition bestowed on an artist in the state of Ohio - her work can also be seen in local, regional collections throughout the United States - several of her art pieces have been included in the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum of Art, now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby honor and celebrate the lifetime achievements and contributions of Queen Brooks and present her with the 2019 James Preston Poindexter Award for being a Shining Light and a transformational leader in the Arts.