Taft names Chicago rapper next Duncanson Artist-in-Residence

Chicago-based rapper and educator Rich Robbins will serve as the Taft Museum of Art’s Duncanson Artist-in-Residence for 2025.

Robbins, known for his critiques of societal issues and visions for new possibilities in the future, will be the 39th artist-in-residence in the history of the Duncanson Program. The program focuses on elevating the profile of Black and Brown contemporary artists while also supporting educational opportunities.

As part of his role, Robbins will lead public programs, teach workshops and visit schools across Greater Cincinnati from April 10-26.

“The Taft Museum of Art is ecstatic to have Robbins as this year’s Duncanson Artist-in-Residence,” said Kareem A. Simpson, who manages the program. “We look forward to working with Robbins to diversify artistic stewardship and advocacy in our region through music and community.”

Support current, future Black artists

Established in 1986 by the Taft Museum, the award-winning Duncanson Program honors the relationship between Black American painter Robert S. Duncanson and his patron, Nicholas Longworth, who commissioned Duncanson to paint landscape murals in the foyer of his home circa 1850-52, now the Taft Museum of Art.

Today, the program works to recognize the achievements of contemporary Black artists, including hosting the annual Duncanson Artist-in-Residence. The residency focuses on education, cultural awareness, and supporting talented Black artists from across the United States.

Robbins is a First Wave Hip Hop & Urban Arts Scholarship Program recipient from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Through this program, he developed his craft alongside faculty, staff and nationally renowned spoken word and hip-hop artists. He also took part in service-learning projects that combined multicultural arts and activism.

Robbins has since been recognized as the “Best Individual Hip-Hop Artist” by Chicago Reader, an alternative newsweekly that highlights the city’s arts and culture scene. His music has garnered more than 1 million streams across major platforms, with collaborators including Mick Jenkins, Saba and Mother Nature. With his latest EP, “Soft & Tender,” Robbins aims to “open the conversation around the intersectionality of fatherhood and Blackness. He hosts an adapted, related interview series available on YouTube.

Outside of the studio, Robbins has headlined major festivals like Taste of Chicago and Metro and performed at nationally iconic venues like the Apollo Theater in New York. He also posses a passion for youth education and outreach, including teaching high school students how to write poetry and music. Robbins has founded several spaces for artists to advance their skills, including Respect the Mic, a monthly open mic series.