Taft Museum of Art Marks 175 Years of Duncanson Murals, 40 Years of Artist-in-Residence Program

The Taft Museum of Art marks two major anniversaries in 2026: the 175th anniversary of Robert S. Duncanson’s landmark landscape murals and the 40th anniversary of the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Program, one of America’s longest running residencies dedicated to community engagement and artists of color.

Painted between 1850 and 1852, Duncanson’s murals launched his career as the first Black American artist to achieve international acclaim. The Taft, in partnership with the Robert S. Duncanson Society, continues to build on that legacy through year-round programming and its nationally recognized residency, offering a blueprint for equity and cultural stewardship for museums.

Established in 1986, the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Program supports contemporary artists across disciplines while engaging the Greater Cincinnati community through public programs, workshops, and school visits. The program’s first resident was poet Nikki Giovanni.

The Taft announced Ayana Ross as the 2026 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence, selected from more than 70 applicants representing 17 states, 31 U.S. cities, and 11 countries. Ross’s residency runs April 11–26 and includes programs throughout the region. Her exhibition, Beyond the Picturesque: The American Landscape as a Site of Memory, Identity and Continuity, runs April 11-July 26 and will include seven paintings on view in the Taft historic house. Six works will be on display in the Sinton Gallery, and one will be installed in the Duncanson Foyer, alongside Robert S. Duncanson’s monumental mural suite.

A new digital showcase highlighting the program’s 40-year impact and anniversary programming throughout 2026 will feature Duncanson Program alumni such as Kathy Wade (1988, jazz singer from Cincinnati OH), Ya’Ke Smith (2019, filmmaker from Austin TX), and Anita Graef (2023, cellist from Chicago, IL), who said of the residency: “to witness a museum reaching beyond its walls to more meaningfully serve its community is profoundly inspiring. I am honored to have played a part in continuing the legacy of one of America’s most remarkable homegrown painters and in honoring the monumental contributions that Black artists have made to our country.”

To learn more about the anniversary year and programming, visit taftmuseum.org/Duncanson.

Pictured: Ayana Ross. Photo by Carol Rose of Colurwrk Photography