Art Professor Jared Thorne selected as Aminah Robinson Fellow

Thorne, an Associate Professor in the Department of Art, has been selected as the 2025 Aminah Robinson Fellow at The Columbus Museum of Art. The fellowship, created by museum in partnership with the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), is awarded annually to an artist from Franklin County in honor of the much beloved Columbus artist and Mellon “genius” grant recipient, Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson, who died in 2015.

Thorne will spend much of spring semester in the position, working out of Robinson’s renovated studio on the Near East Side of Columbus and developing his diorama series Black Palimpsest (see below). Thorne’s work explores the complexities of Black identity and culture. By examining issues of race, social class, and gender, his art challenges both dominant narratives and internalized perceptions within the Black community. His work prompts a rethinking of authenticity, representation, and historical context, asking viewers to reconsider their relationship to modernity and the constructs that shape societal norms. 

“As a celebrated artist and professor, Thorne’s dedication to his communities, craft, and storytelling echoes that of Aminah Robinson,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council. “This fellowship is deeply meaningful for the community of Columbus. It is our great pleasure to partner with the Columbus Museum of Art in fostering local artists that craft narratives bridging generations, in honor of Aminah Robinson.”