Black Mountain College Prize Awarded to Rosana Paulino
Each year, Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center awards a $20,000 grant to an artist based anywhere in the world working in the spirit of BMC.
Rosana Paulino was selected as the recipient of the annual BMC Prize, a grant for artists working in the spirit of Black Mountain College.
An artist, educator, and researcher based in São Paulo, Brazil, Paulino’s work centers around social, ethnic, and gender issues, particularly foregrounding the histories, myths, narratives, and images of Black women in Brazilian society. Her practice, which spans drawing, embroidery, engraving, printmaking, collage, sculpture, and installation, explores the history of racial violence and the persisting legacy of slavery in Brazil, illuminating the impact of memory on psychosocial constructions. Through archetypes and documents, Paulino blends personal and archival recollections to deconstruct those remnants of European colonialism influencing the cultural consciousness today.
This year’s committee of nominators included Beverly Adams, Johnny Gandelsman, Tina Kukielski, Helen Molesworth, and James Oles, who selected Paulino after a thorough search process across diverse creative disciplines.
“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,” said Jeff Arnal, Executive Director of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center.
Origins of the Prize
The legendary Black Mountain College (1933–1957) was founded on principles of collaboration, experimentation, and non-hierarchical, democratic structures — preparing individuals to become active citizens. The college’s impact has taken root across the globe, evolving to encompass diverse forms of expression. Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center is dedicated to preserving and extending the BMC legacy. The museum’s BMC Prize was established by cultural pollinators Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull to support the most innovative artists working in the BMC tradition today.
To learn more, visit blackmountaincollege.org.
