40 Years of Impact | Celebrating 40 Years of the Duncanson Program

Ancestral Serendipity | In Conversation with Ayana Ross

07 July 2026

Seeking to celebrate, preserve, and contextualize the stories and histories she loves, 2026 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence and visual artist Ayana Ross uses paintings as a means to do so with love and craft. In this interview with Jae Washington from Cincinnati's Conscience, Ross explores her personal and familial histories, the impact of her ancestors, the serendipity of the Duncanson Program finding her, and the ways these all align in her creative work.

See her work on view in Beyond the Picturesque: The American Landscape as a Site of Memory, Identity, and Continuity now through July 26, 2026.


Housecats | How Felines Influenced Edie McKee Harper’s Creative Work

13 October 2026

Butch. Cookie. Bitsy. Katrinka. These are just a few of the cats who pounced around the household of Edie McKee Harper, Charley Harper, and their son Brett Harper. You can find their essence embedded in the work of these artists, but these whiskered faces specifically take the spotlight across the work of Edie McKee Harper. Explore how cats impacted her artistry and creative process with Senior Manager of Marketing and Engagement Kay E. Bancroft, with research by Assistant Curator Angela Fuller.

Modeling Museum Practice | A Commitment to Black Artistry and Robert S. Duncanson's Legacy

01 October 2026

Some anniversaries simply invite us to celebrate. Others encourage us to ask why a legacy has endured. As the Taft Museum of Art commemorates the 175th anniversary of Robert S. Duncanson's landmark murals alongside the 40th anniversary of the Duncanson Program, we have a rare opportunity to reflect on how one artist's legacy has evolved from a remarkable chapter in history into a model for museums committed to creativity, community, and cultural equity.

A Journey to Conservation | In Conversation with Frederick A. Wallace, 1995 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence

26 August 2026

In 1995, Frederick A. Wallace, conservator, was named the 9th Duncanson Artist-in-Residence at the Taft Museum of Art. But what was his journey to the world of art like, and how did he become a conservator? In this interview, Jae Washington of Cincinnati's Conscience sits down with Wallace to discuss how conservation impacted his career and creative process, and some of his favorite things in Cincinnati.


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