AMBER ROBLES-GORDON

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE / Summer 2019

Amber Robles-Gordon is a mixed media visual artist of Puerto Rican and Caribbean descent. Known for re-contextualizing non-traditional materials, her assemblages, large sculptures, installations, and public artwork emphasize the essentialness of spirituality and temporality within life. Driven by the need to construct her own finite path, innovate and challenge social norms, her artwork is unconventional and non-formulaic. Ultimately her creations are representational of her personal experiences and the paradoxes within the imbalance of masculine and feminine energies with our society.

Robles-Gordon has over fifteen years of exhibiting, art education, and exhibition coordinating experience. She completed her Masters of Fine Arts from Howard University in November 2011, where she has received annual awards and accolades for her artwork. Since, her exhibitions and artwork has been reviewed and/or featured in the Washington Post, Washington City Paper, Washington Informer, Examiner, WAMU American University Radio, WPFW 89.3, MSNBC the grio, Hyperallergeric, Ebony.com, Houston Chronicle, Miami Herald, Huffington Post, Bmore Art Magazine, and Callaloo Art & Culture in the African Diaspora.

She has exhibited nationally and in Germany, Italy, Malaysia, London, and Spain. In 2010, Robles-Gordon was granted apprenticeship to create a public art installation with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DC Creates Public Arts Program. Robles-Gordon was also commissioned to create temporary and permanent public art installations for numerous art fairs and agencies such as the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DCCAH, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA), Humanities Council of Washington, DC, Howard University, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Washington Projects for the Arts, Martha’s Table and Democracy.

Throughout her career, she serves as an advocate for the Washington, DC area arts community. As of November 2004 through July 2012, Robles-Gordon has been an active member of the Black Artists DC, (BADC) serving as exhibitions coordinator, Vice President, and President. Robles-Gordon is also the Co-Founder of Delusions of Grandeur Artist Collective. In 2012, Robles-Gordon was selected to present for the Under the Influence competition as part of the 30 Americans Exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Additionally, she has been commissioned by the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, Luther College, WETA Television, WPFW 89.3fm, WAMU | American University Radio, Al Jazeera, The Kojo Nnamdi Show, Howard University, David C. Driskell Center, the Phillips Collection, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Mc Daniel College Salisbury University, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Phillips Collection, American University, National Museum of African American History and Culture to teach workshops, give commentary, and or present about her artwork. In 2016, Robles-Gordon was selected for the Centro Cultural Costarricense-Norteamericano, Back the Roots, Teaching Residency in Limon, Costa Rica. In 2017, she participated in a teaching residency with Washington Projects for the Arts and DC Public Schools.

Learn more about Amber’s at www.amberroblesgordon.com

RESIDENT PROJECT: OF FERTILE GROUNDS: MINDS, WOMBS AND THE EARTH (2019)

Amber created this altar installation to represent how plastics and other non-recyclable man-made materials have a deleterious physical, emotional and ecological impact on the health of women and of our planet.

Interested in becoming our next artist-in-residence?