AKRON, OH.- Combining traditional art materials with found and everyday objects, Columbus, Ohio artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson creates magical works of art. Robinson will speak about her exhibition, Along Water Street – currently on view at the Akron Art Museum – as well as her life and her influences in this exciting dialogue with Columbus Museum of Art's Carole Genshaft and the Akron Art Museum's Barbara Tannenbaum on Sunday, March 22, from 2 – 3 pm in the Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium.

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Robinson has been creating elaborate mixed media paintings and sculptures for more than 50 years. Her artistic flair became clear to Robinson’s father when she was very young. He taught her many skills which she continues to use in her work to this day. After graduating from high school, she went on to study art at the Columbus Art School, now the Columbus College of Art and Design. Robinson was a 2004 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellows Program, nicknamed “The Genius Award,” and was the subject of a major 2003 retrospective exhibition that toured nationally.

Robinson’s work centers on memories of Columbus, while celebrating her African American heritage and examining the complex histories of vanished communities. The Akan people of West Africa have a concept called Sankofa that translates literally as “going back to fetch what was forgotten.” The broader concept, embraced by the artist and reflected in her work, speaks to the notion that we must go back to our past, our roots, in order to move forward.

This free event concludes a series at the Akron Art Museum combining the exhibition itself, Sketching in the Galleries, Studio Classes for Kids, the At One South High exhibition, and a Family Drop In day: Family Threads, Stitch Together a Family Valentine. Join Columbus Museum of Art’s Carole Genshaft and the Akron Art Museum’s Barbara Tannenbaum in this concluding dialogue with the artist about her exhibition, her life and her work.

Following the talk, Robinson will be signing copies of her book and related merchandise will also be available for purchase in the museum store.