Amber Robles-Gordon Explained

Amber Robles-Gordon
Birth Place:	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Artist
Alma Mater:	Howard University
Website:	https://www.amberroblesgordon.com

Amber Robles-Gordon (born 1977 San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an American mixed media visual artist.^{[1] [2]} She resides in Washington, DC and predominantly works with found objects and textiles to create assemblages, large-scale sculptures, installations and public artwork.

Education

She received a BS in 2005 from Trinity College, in Washington, DC and subsequently an MFA (Painting) in 2011 from Howard University, also in Washington, DC.^[3] Robles-Gordon has been a key member of the Black Artists DC, (BADC) serving as exhibitions coordinator, Vice President and President.^[4] Robles-Gordon is also the co-founder of Delusions of Grandeur Artist Collective.^[5]

Artwork

Robles-Gordon has exhibited widely in the US, Europe, and Asia.^{[6] [7]} In 2010 she was granted an apprenticeship with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to create a public art installation as part of the D.C. Creates Public Arts Program.^[8] She was subsequently also commissioned to create temporary and permanent public art installations for the Washington Projects for the Arts, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA), the Humanities Council of Washington, D.C., Howard University, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.^[4]

Reviews

In a 2018 review of her two-person show at the Morton Fine Art Gallery in Washington, DC, The Washington Post noted that "Robles-Gordon, a D.C. native, is known for hanging strands of textiles and other found objects in intricate arrangements... Whether seen as cosmic or botanical, the artist's circling compositions exalt natural cycles."^[9] A few years earlier, The Washington Post had observed that "Working entirely with found objects, the Caribbean-rooted local artist arrays ribbons and scraps on (mostly) wire frameworks. The result is a riot of colors and patterns, evoking the tropics while playing on the contrast between the rigid frames and malleable fabric."^{[10] [11] [12] [8]}

Solo Shows

• 1995 The Art, The Brittany, Arlington, VA^[13]
• 1997 The Artwork of A. Robles-Gordon, Dance Place Exhibition Space, Washington, DC
• 2007 Can You Free Me?, Ramee’ Gallery, Washington, DC
• 2010 Matrices of Transformation, Michael Platt Studio Gallery, Washington, DC^[14]
• 2011 Milked, National League of American Penn Woman, Washington, DC
• 2011 Wired, Installation and Exhibit, Pleasant Plains Workshop, Washington, DC
• 2012 Milked, Riverviews Art Space, Lynchburg, Virginia^[15]
• 2012 With Every Fiber of My Being, Honfleur Gallery, Washington, DC^[16]
• 2017 Arts Center/Gallery Delaware State University, Dover, DE^[17]
• 2017 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA^{[18] [19]}
• 2018  Kohl Gallery at Washington College, Chestertown, MD^{[20] [21]}
• 2018 Third Eye Open, Morton Fine Art, Washington, DC
• 2020 American University (upcoming), American University Museum at Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC

Museum and University Group Shows

• 2006 Mother and Child: Expression of Love, Smithsonian Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History, Washington, DC^[22]
• 2006 Sistahs, In Our Own Words, Banneker Douglass Museum, Annapolis, MD
• 2007 A Creative Profile: Artist of the East Bank, Smithsonian Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History, Washington, DC^{[23] [24] [25]}
• 2009 Colorblind/Colorsight, The Rotunda Gallery at American University, Washington, DC^{[26] [27]}
• 2009 Migrations: BADC Exhibit, Luther Collage, Decorah, Iowa^[28]
• 2010 Global Art Buzz, University of California, Washington Center, Washington, DC
• 2011 Transformer Silent Auction Exhibition, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
• 2015 Personal Patterns, Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD^{[29] [30]}
• 2016 Arts for Justice, American University Museum, Katzen Center, Washington, DC^[31]
• 2017 Living on the Land, Salisbury University Art Gallery, Salisbury, MD^{[32] [33]}
• 2019 The Path of Terminator Crossing and Juxtaposing Whiteness, American Academy, Rome, Italy
• 2021 Successions: Traversing US Colonialism, American University Museum, Washington, DC.^[34]

Collections

• Judith A. Hoffberg Archive Library, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA^[35]
• Masterpiece Miniature Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia^[36]
• Capital One Bank, McLean, Virginia
• City of Washington, DC^[37]  
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, NY
• The Gautier Family Collection, Washington, DC^[38]

Notes and References

1. News: Jenkins. Mark. 2017-07-29. Review In the galleries: A colorful survey of Washington artists. en-US. Washington Post. 2021-01-24. 0190-8286.
2. Web site: 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. 2021-01-24.
3. Web site: Amber Robles Gordon. DC Artists East. 2019-03-08.
4. Web site: Amber Robles Gordon. Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. en. 2019-03-08.
5. Web site: Riffing on the Legacy of the Black Arts Movement. American University. en. 2019-03-09.
6. Web site: Local Black Artists Look to Collaborate After Art Basel. Washington City Paper. en. 2019-03-08.
7. Web site: In Miami, a Fair for Artists from Africa and the African Diaspora Shines Again. 2018-12-07. Hyperallergic. en-US. 2019-03-10.
8. Web site: Amber Robles-gordon. WETA. en-US. 2019-03-08.
9. News: In the galleries: 'Interact + Integrate' requires audience participation. Jenkins. Mark. 2018-05-04. The Washington Post. 2019-03-08.
10. News: 'Chinese Flowers' at Freer Gallery. Jenkins. Mark. 2011-07-14. The Washington Post. 2019-03-08.
11. News: In the galleries: Heading home. Jenkins. Mark. 2015-09-19. The Washington Post. 2019-03-08.
12. Web site: "How We Lost DC" at The Honfleur Gallery. Washington City Paper. en. 2019-03-08.
13. Web site: Amber Robles-Gordon. Saatchi Art. en-US. 2019-03-09.
14. Web site: Hybridism: Fusing Gender, Ethnicity, Culture, and Social Constructs – BmoreArt Baltimore Contemporary Art. en-US. 2019-03-09.
15. Web site: Helina Metaferia & Amber Robles-Gordon. Riverviews Artspace. en-US. 2019-03-08.
16. Web site: Amber Robles-Gordon Honfleur Gallery. 2012-03-09. Honfleur Gallery. 2019-03-08.
17. Web site: At the Altar exhibition in Arts Center-Gallery. 2017-10-10. Delaware State University. en. 2019-03-08.
18. Web site: Mosaic Project Artist Talk: Amber Robles Gordon. 2018-10-06. Pennsylvania College of Art & Design PCA&D. en. 2019-03-08.
19. Web site: Mosaic Project artist Nate Lewis uses his experience as a nurse in his art. Reporter. JANE HOLAHAN Entertainment. LancasterOnline. en. 2019-03-08.
20. Web site: Kohl Gallery Opening Reception: Amber Robles-Gordon. 2018-09-13. Washington College. en. 2019-03-08.
21. Web site: Solo exhibit featuring Amber Robles-Gordon opens at WC's Kohl Gallery. 2018-08-28. Kent County News. en. 2019-03-08.
22. Web site: DC Artist Amber Robles-Gordon. Smithsonian Institution. es. 2019-03-08.
23. Web site: Volume 1 – 2007 - Black Artists of DC. Black Artists of DC. 2019-03-08.
24. Web site: A Creative Profile: Artists of the East Bank Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. 2019-03-09.
25. News: RECENTLY OPENED. The Washington Post.
26. Web site: COLORBLIND/ COLORSIGHT OPENS AT AU NOVEMBER 10. Ober. Cara. en-US. 2019-03-09.
27. Web site: Volume 3 – 2009 - Black Artists of DC. Black Artists of DC. 2019-03-08.
28. Web site: Artists' Corner: Amber Robles-Gordon. 2014-08-28. BVI Property and Yacht. en-US. 2019-03-09.
29. Web site: Local Artists Exhibiting Works in Personal Patterns, King Street Gallery - Inside MC Online. insidemc.montgomerycollege.edu. 2019-03-09.
30. Web site: King Street Gallery Presents Personal Patterns. East City Art. 2019-03-09.
31. Web site: Alper Initiative at American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center Presents Art for Social Justice Group Exhibition. 2016-09-08. East City Art. 2019-03-09.
32. Web site: Humans and the land we live on: SU exhibit showcases our connection. Ryan. Meg. 2017-06-16. Delmarva Daily Times. en. 2019-03-08.
33. Web site: Living On The Land, curated by Jayme McLellan. kauffmaneck. 2017-05-18. SU Art Galleries. en. 2019-03-08.
34. Web site: Successions: Amber Robles-Gordon. 2021-06-28. American University. en.
35. Web site: Contemporary Artwork featured at Prizm Art Fair by artists of the African Diaspora Morton Fine Art Artsy. www.artsy.net. en. 2019-03-09.
36. Web site: Morton Fine Art Presents Kesha Bruce, Maya Freelon, and Amber Robles-Gordon Starshine and Clay at Workshouse Arts Center. East City Art. 2019-03-09.
37. Web site: Beyond the Visual Rainbow Works eMuseum dcarts. dcarts.emuseum.com. en. 2019-03-09.
38. Web site: 2014 East of the River Distinguished Artist Award. www.archdevelopment.org. 2019-03-09.