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 unique mixed-media prints and paintings. Robin's art often explores important ideas like spiritual and racial identity, fairness, and social justice. She also shares her own life experiences through her artwork.

Robin Holder has created many special art projects for public places. You can find her art in cities across the Northeastern United States, including New York City and New Jersey. Her two-dimensional artworks are part of important collections. These include the Library of Congress and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Robin has also taught art for more than thirty years, helping many students learn and grow.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in New York City

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 Caucasian, Russian American, and Jewish.

From a young age, Robin's family cared deeply about social issues. They were involved in political activism. This helped Robin notice differences around her. She saw how people were treated differently based on their gender, race, religion, or how much money they had.

Learning to Be an Artist

Robin went to high school in New York City. She graduated in 1969 from the LaGuardia High School Of Music and Arts. After high school, Robin received a scholarship. She studied at The Art Students League of New York from 1969 to 1971. There, she learned from famous artists like Marshall Glasier and Vaclav Vytlacil.

After her studies in New York, Robin moved to Mexico. She spent time there creating her own art. Later, she worked in Amsterdam, studying a type of printing called lithography. From 1977 to 1986, she was the assistant director at Robert Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop in New York City.

Robin Holder's Art Career

Teaching and Creating Art

After working at Bob Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop, Robin became a master teaching artist. She taught at The Studio in a School. She also worked as an artist educator at The Children's Museum of Manhattan until 1989.

In 1989, Robin received a grant from the Manhattan Graphics Center. This helped her continue her art. The New York State Council on the Arts also supported her. They sponsored her in a special 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.

Awards and Recognition

Robin Holder has received several important awards for her art. In 1999, she got the Individual Visual Artist Grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council. 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 be an artist at the Experimental Printmaking Institute and Lafayette College.

Public Art Projects

Robin Holder has created many large art pieces for public spaces. These are often called "installations." Here are some of her notable public works:

• 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 for the Connecticut Juvenile Training School.
• 1997-1998 – A series of stained glass window installations. These included Dialogue, Exchange, Cooperative Education, and Rites of Passage. They were made for the High School of Redirection in New York.
• 1996 – Portraits and Patterns, part of the Public Art for Public Schools program in New York.
• 1992–1993 – Camino De Animales, for Public School 5 in Manhattan.

Important Art Series

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

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

Robin's art in this collection explores what "home" means. It also shows how unfairness affects people's daily lives. The entire collection was shown at the Kentler International Drawing Space in 2020.

"Warrior Women Wizards: Mystical Magical Mysteries"

This art series began in 1985 and continued until 2009. It includes 14 fine art prints on paper. In this series, Robin explores feelings about spirituality and being a woman. She shares these ideas through her own artistic view.

How Robin Holder Creates Art

Her Creative Process

Robin Holder describes making art as an adventure. She starts with an idea, a feeling, or a concept. It might be about something in the world, her family, or her surroundings. Then, she explores that idea through her art.

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

Layered Techniques

Robin's artworks are often built in layers. This is like the complex topics she explores. She uses many different printmaking techniques. She also adds collage elements, patterns, and hand-painted details. Sometimes she uses stencils, paper crafts, and drawings. All these layers come together to create her unique and meaningful art.