Rosana Paulino Receives Black Mountain College Prize

Each year, the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center awards a $20,000 grant to an artist worldwide who embodies the spirit of Black Mountain College. This year, Rosana Paulino was selected as the recipient of the annual BMC Prize, a grant for artists working in this spirit.

Rosana Paulino, an artist, educator, and researcher based in São Paulo, Brazil, focuses her work on social, ethnic, and gender issues, with a keen emphasis on the histories, myths, narratives, and images of Black women in Brazilian society. Her diverse practice includes drawing, embroidery, engraving, printmaking, collage, sculpture, and installation, exploring the enduring impacts of racial violence and the legacy of slavery in Brazil. Paulino uses personal and archival recollections to deconstruct European colonialism’s remnants, challenging cultural consciousness today.

The selection committee for this year’s prize included Beverly Adams, Johnny Gandelsman, Tina Kukielski, Helen Molesworth, and James Oles, who conducted a thorough search across various creative disciplines.

Jeff Arnal, Executive Director of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, said, “Rosana Paulino’s selection as the 2025 BMC Prize recipient extends Black Mountain College’s radical experiment across continents, recognizing a practice that, like the College itself, resists easy categories and sees art as a tool for inquiry, responsibility, and change. Paulino’s work resonates with the College’s enduring commitment to social engagement and transformative interdisciplinarity.”

**Origins of the Prize**
The legendary Black Mountain College (1933–1957) was founded on collaboration, experimentation, and democratic structures, preparing individuals to be active citizens. Its impact is global, evolving to embrace diverse forms of expression. The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center aims to preserve and extend the BMC legacy. The BMC Prize, established by cultural pollinators Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull, supports innovative artists working in the BMC tradition today.

For more information, visit [blackmountaincollege.org](https://bit.ly/49hNHYK?ref=hyperallergic.com).