Rush Baker IV

Rush Baker IV (American, b. 1987, Washington, DC) (he/him) embraces uncertainty in his painting practice, exploring the tension between destruction and reconstruction, using abstraction as a strategy to alter preconceived ideas. Baker has exhibited nationally and internationally, with solo shows at Future Gallery (Berlin), Scaramouche Gallery (New York City), and HEMPHILL Artworks (Washington, DC), among others. He holds a BFA from The Cooper Union, where he received the Jack Stewart Memorial Prize for Excellence in Painting, and an MFA from Yale University, where he was awarded the Elizabeth Canfield Hicks Award. In 2023, he was a Trawick Prize finalist and an Artsy Foundations Prize finalist in 2024. Baker was a 2024/2025 Grant Wood Art Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor in Art at the University of Iowa.

Grant Wood Art Fellowship, 2024; Artsy Foundations Prize Finalist, 2024; Trawick Prize Finalist, 2023; Elizabeth Canfield Hicks Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drawing or Painting from Nature, Yale University, 2012; Jack Stewart Memorial Prize for Excellence in Painting, Cooper Union, 2009.

Halawit, Liam, “Grant Wood Fellow reps. Maryland at the (DNC),” The Daily Iowan, Aug. 22, 2024; Mothes, Kate, “The Depth of Erasure: Rush Baker Delves into Archives to Connect to History to Today,” Dovetail Mag, June 17, 2024; Davis-Marks, Isis, “29 Emerging Black Artists to Discover This Black History Month” for Artsy, February 15, 2024; Artsy Editorial, “Black Artists on Our Radar,” Artsy, Oct. 18, 2022; Jenkins, Mark, “In the Galleries: Rush Baker IV,” The Washington Post, April 15, 2022; Capps, Kriston, “As Galleries Return to Normal, One Group Show Thinks Big,” Hyperallergic, Nov. 2, 2021; Annie Mitchell, Jennifer, “Six Artists Explain the Inspiration for Their Hemphill Coloring Book Pieces,” Aug. 20, 2020; Wimberly, Dexter, “Rush Baker IV: Visions of Urgent Abstraction,” Hyperallergic, April 22, 2019; Hutinet, Phil, “Rushern Baker IV: Post-World at Hemphill Fine Arts,” East City Art, April 22, 2019.

The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; The Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY; International African American Museum, Charleston, SC; University of Maryland, College Park, MD; Soho House Collection, The Ned—DC, Washington, DC.

As an educator and practicing artist, my teaching centers on empowering students to develop their artistic voices while connecting their practice to broader cultural, historical, and social contexts. I view the studio as a dynamic space for experimentation, critical dialogue, and personal growth, where students are encouraged to push the boundaries of traditional media and methods. At the center of my approach is the belief that art should transcend the studio, engaging with the world and fostering meaningful conversations about identity, history, and representation. At my core, I am a collaborator, fostering a collective, student-centered learning environment.