The Taft Museum of Art has announced its 2021 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence, Asha Ama Bias-Daniels. Bias-Daniels is a fashion designer who garnered worldwide recognition as a competitor on the television series Project Runway. She has also been a finalist on Lifetime’s Under the Gunn and is currently a returning contestant for the newest Project Runway: All Stars season.
Bias-Daniels, the 34th Ducanson artist, is a Cincinnati native and was the first designer from the city to compete on Project Runway.
For her residency, Bias-Daniels will lead public programs, teach workshops and visit schools across the city from April 12–26, 2021.
And until June 6, Garments by Asha Ama Bias-Daniels will be on display at the Taft Museum in addition to the exhibit Walk This Way: Footwear from the Stuart Weitzman Collection of Historic Shoes.
Scheduled events include:
- Bias-Daniels will host a welcome and artist talk from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 14 at the museum; the event is free and held online.
- A docent-led virtual tour of Bias-Daniels work, now on display at the Taft, will be held noon-12:30 p.m. April 14 and 21; registration is required and is free for members ($5 for non-members).
- A fashion-crown workshop will be held at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center 10 a.m.-noon April 17. Guests will learn how to craft their own headpieces out of “unconventional items.” This is aimed at those in 7th to 12th grade. Registration is required; the event is free and all supplies are provided.
The Duncanson Artist-in-Residence program was founded in 1986 in honor of Robert S. Duncan (1821-1872), who attained international success for his work painting eight large-scale murals on the Taft house walls for patron Nicholas Longworth, then the owner of the home.
Today, the residency program honors the “achievements of contemporary African American artists working in a breadth of artistic disciplines,” says the museum. Since its foundation, it has highlighted more than 30 Black artists specializing in many different mediums including poetry, performance art, filmmaking and music.
Learn more and register for upcoming events at taftmuseum.org.
This article appears in Best Of Cincinnati 2021.