Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center recently announced Rosana Paulino as the recipient of the annual BMC Prize, a prestigious $20,000 grant awarded to artists working in the spirit of Black Mountain College. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil, Paulino is an artist, educator, and researcher whose work delves into social, ethnic, and gender issues, with a particular focus on the histories and narratives of Black women in Brazilian society.
Paulino’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses drawing, embroidery, engraving, printmaking, collage, sculpture, and installation. Through her art, she explores the enduring impact of racial violence and the legacy of slavery in Brazil, shedding light on how memory shapes psychosocial constructs. By blending personal experiences with archival materials, Paulino deconstructs the remnants of European colonialism that continue to influence cultural consciousness today.
The selection committee for this year’s BMC Prize, which included Beverly Adams, Johnny Gandelsman, Tina Kukielski, Helen Molesworth, and James Oles, chose Paulino after an extensive search process across diverse creative disciplines. Jeff Arnal, the Executive Director of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, praised Paulino’s work for embodying the College’s ethos of using art as a tool for inquiry, responsibility, and change.
The BMC Prize is rooted in the legacy of Black Mountain College, a pioneering institution founded on principles of collaboration, experimentation, and non-hierarchical structures. The college’s impact has reverberated globally, inspiring artists to push boundaries and challenge conventions. Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, dedicated to preserving and extending the BMC legacy, established the BMC Prize to support innovative artists carrying on the College’s tradition of interdisciplinary exploration.
To learn more about Rosana Paulino and the BMC Prize, visit blackmountaincollege.org.
