Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson was an artist born in Columbus, Ohio in 1940 and raised in Poindexter Village, one of America’s first federally funded metropolitan housing developments. Her sculptures, paintings, drawings and books are inspired by the African idea of “Sankofa,” understanding the past in order to move forward. Some of her art refers to the heritage of Columbus neighborhoods Sellsville, Water Street, the Blackberry Patch, and Mt. Vernon Avenue. Her “RagDonNons” were mixed media constructions with cloth, buttons, shells and other materials. Robinson was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. After her death in 2015, her home became a studio residency location for artists with the Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Fellowship and Residency programs, managed by the Columbus Museum of Art and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Robinson was made a Great Ohioan in 2022.
This photo, showing Aminah Robinson is courtesy of the WOSU News – WOSU Public Media.