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HBCU Art Haus Announces Ashlee Brown as Inaugural Winner of the HBCU Art Haus Prize

Howard University alumna selected from 31 submissions across 11 HBCUs in the platform’s first prize cycle

July 13, 2026 — HBCU Art Haus, a platform building dedicated market infrastructure for HBCU-trained visual artists and the collectors who want to own their work, today announced Ashlee Brown, a multidisciplinary artist and Howard University alumna, as the inaugural winner of the HBCU Art Haus Prize.

Brown was selected from a field of 31 submissions representing 11 HBCUs, judged solely by Jamaal Sheats, Associate Provost for Art & Culture and Director and Curator of the Fisk University Galleries at Fisk University.

Howard University is home to the first HBCU art gallery founded and curated by African Americans, established in 1928.

“In 2026, we are elevating the struggle of HBCU artists into one of cultural and economic progression. We built the table, because that is how the HBCU family conducts business. We patronize our own, we invest in our own, and we cultivate institutions that last for generations,” said Joshua Brome, founder of HBCU Art Haus.

The Prize carries a total value of $2,000, comprising a $1,000 cash award and up to $1,000 in-kind support toward limited-edition print production, fulfillment, shipping, and marketing, fully funded by HBCU Art Haus.

“I have been brought to tears by this incredible honor,” said Brown. “Humbly building Northstar Artistry from the ground up has been both rewarding and deeply challenging, so this recognition means more than I can put into words. Thank you to Joshua and Jamaal for the thoughtful consideration and feedback throughout this process. It means so much to know my work resonated, and I am honored to be part of HBCU Art Haus in this way.”

About the Winning Work

Brown’s winning piece, “Phylicia Rashad Portrait,” is an acrylic painting created to honor Rashad’s leadership, legacy, and service to Howard’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. As a student in the College of Fine Arts, Brown set out to celebrate a figure whose presence shaped generations of artists during her tenure as dean.

The composition places Rashad alongside symbols of Howard University and Washington, DC: a bison representing the university’s strength, resilience, and community, and cherry blossoms honoring the city Howard calls home. Through color, layered brushwork, and portraiture, Brown sought to capture both Rashad’s likeness and the energy and influence she brought to the institution.

“At its core, this work is about honoring legacy,” Brown said, “and recognizing the lasting impact that educators, artists, and leaders leave on the communities they serve.”

Brown has also been selected to create a new commissioned piece for HBCU Art Haus’s permanent collection, with limited-edition prints to follow.

About the Judge

Jamaal Sheats, MFA, is Associate Provost for Art & Culture, Director and Curator of the Fisk University Galleries, and Assistant Professor of Art at Fisk University. A proud HBCU alumnus, he earned his BS from Fisk University and his MFA from Tufts University. Since 2015, he has curated more than two dozen exhibitions nationally and abroad and serves on the boards of the Frist Art Museum and the HBCU Alliance of Museums and Galleries. As an artist, curator, and award-winning museum leader, his work is centered on expanding access to the arts and amplifying the legacy of artists whose contributions have shaped the field.