Robin Holder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robin Holder
Born	Chicago
Nationality	American
Education	LaGuardia High School Of Music and Arts
Alma mater	The Art Students League of New York
Known for	mixed-media printmaking, paintings and public installations

Robin Holder (born 1952) is an American artist and activist. She is famous for her mixed-media printmaking and paintings. These artworks often explore important topics. She looks at spiritual and racial identity, social fairness, and personal life.

Robin Holder has created many large art pieces for public spaces. These can be seen in places like New York City and New Jersey. Her two-dimensional artworks are part of several important collections. These include the Library of Congress and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Robin has also taught art for over thirty years.

Early Life and Art Education

Robin Holder was born in Chicago in 1952. She grew up in New York City. Her father was African American and Episcopalian. Her mother was Russian American Jewish and Caucasian.

From a young age, Robin's family cared deeply about social issues. They were involved in political activism. This made Robin aware of differences around her. She noticed how people were treated based on gender, race, religion, or money.

In 1969, Robin finished high school. She graduated from the LaGuardia High School Of Music and Arts. She then received a scholarship. This allowed her to study at The Art Students League of New York from 1969 to 1971. There, she learned from famous artists like Marshall Glasier.

After her studies, Robin moved to Mexico to create art. She also spent a year in Amsterdam. She learned about lithography, a type of printmaking. Later, she became an assistant director. This was at Robert Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop in New York City. She worked there until 1986.

Art Career and Teaching

After leaving the Printmaking Workshop, Robin Holder became a master teaching artist. She worked at The Studio in a School. She was also an artist educator at The Children's Museum of Manhattan until 1989.

She then received a grant from the Manhattan Graphics Center. The New York State Council on the Arts also supported her. She had a special art residency program with El Museo del Barrio.

From 2004 to 2006, Robin trained art teachers. She taught them how to use the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts program. Robin received an award from the Brooklyn Arts Council in 1999. In 2001, she was chosen for the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's Artist As Catalyst program. She was also a guest artist at the Temple Visual Arts Festival in 2005. In 2011, she was invited to the Experimental Printmaking Institute. She also visited Lafayette College.

Public Artworks and Installations

Robin Holder has created many public art pieces. These are large artworks made for specific places.

• 2006 – Migrations, at the Flushing Avenue station (BMT Jamaica Line) in New York.
• 2002 – Bayonne, five paintings for the Hudson Bergen Light Rail System in New Jersey.
• 2001 – Transformations, a series of 16 stained glass windows. These are at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School.
• 1997-1998 – Stained glass window installations: Dialogue, Exchange, Cooperative Education, and Rites of Passage. These are at the High School of Redirection in New York.
• 1996 – Portraits and Patterns, part of Public Art for Public Schools in New York.
• 1992–1993 – Camino De Animales, at Public School 5 in Manhattan.

Awards and Recognition

Robin Holder has received several awards for her art.

• Individual Artist Grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council.
• Artist grant from the Manhattan Graphics Center.
• Clark Hulings Fund 2020 Executive Fellow.
• Fellowship with The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.

Important Art Series

Robin Holder has created several important series of artworks.

Access & Inequities: I Hear You. Do You See Me?

This collection was created between 1999 and 2020. It includes 35 artworks. These works come from three connected series. They are Behind Each Window: A Voice, USA -United States of Anxiety, and The Falling Figures.

This collection was shown completely in 2020. Robin explores different ideas of "home" in these works. She also shows how unfairness affects people's daily lives.

Warrior Women Wizards: Mystical Magical Mysteries

This art series began in 1985. It includes 14 fine art prints on paper. In this series, Robin explores spirituality and femininity. She shows these ideas through her own feelings and experiences.

Art Process and Techniques

Robin Holder sees making art as an adventure. She starts with an idea, a feeling, or a concept. This could be about the world, her family, or her surroundings. Then she explores that idea through her art.

Robin often works on art series for many years. This allows her to fully explore different views and ideas. She also tries out many materials and methods for each piece.

Her artworks are built in layers. Just like the complex topics she explores, her art has many parts. She uses different printmaking techniques. She also adds collage, patterns, hand-painted details, words, stencils, and drawings.