Robyn Phillips-Pendleton
Biography
Robyn Phillips-Pendleton is a visual storyteller, designer, educator, curator, lecturer and a United States Air Force artist. Her creative spirit is driven by the human experience and social condition. She creates illustrations, drawings and paintings that deconstruct the human state of mind, race, identity, history and cultural issues in society. She is fascinated by the many possibilities of visually translating emotional and aesthetic responses into the imagery used to narratively tell stories. The visual language emerges in the historical transmission of images and the functions of images and symbols in constructing individual and cultural identities that inform her compositional approach.
Professor Phillips-Pendleton exhibits work in national and international exhibitions, and she has lectured at various museums, colleges, universities and illustration industry conferences. She is a New York Society of Illustrators board member, a Norman Rockwell Museum National Advisory Board member and was a juror for the contemporary component for Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms.Ìý
Homework for BreakfastÌýis her most recent illustrated picture book. Her essay “Race, Perception, and Responsibility in Illustration," appears inÌýA Companion to IllustrationÌý(edited by Alan Male, Wiley Blackwell, Inc. 2019). In addition, she co-curated the exhibition “Imprinted: Illustrating Race" at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, VA, and a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from Syracuse University, in Syracuse, NY. She resides in Newark, DE, with her husband and son.
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Commissioned Work
2021ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýHomework for Breakfast,Ìýchildren's book written by the Twin Poets, brothers Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha. Mariposa Ranch Press, Jackson Hole, WY
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International Exhibitions
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýJuried, “AmericanÌýIllustration Annual 41,"ÌýOver 7,000 submissions, 443 selected.
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌý Juried, “ICON11 Exhibition,"ÌýScott Bakal, ICON11 Exhibitions Chair,ÌýStudio Inc. Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýJuried, “TL;DR Zine Archive & Exhibition,"ÌýSam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýInvited, “Seeking Vision," Virtual Exhibition at the Design Principles and Practices Conference 2022, Newcastle University, AustraliaÌý Ìý
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National Group Exhibitions
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýCurated, Hollis King, gallery curator, “Black Genius: We rise Still," Skylight GalleryÌýatÌýRestoration Plaza. Brooklyn, NY
Curation
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý“Imprinted: Illustrating Race," Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA
2021ÌýÌýÌýÌý “34thÌýMcNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition," Lake Charles, LA
Published Writing
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýCurator's Introduction,Ìý“Race and Perception in Illustration,"ÌýImprinted: Illustrating Race Exhibition Catalog,ÌýThe Norman Rockwell Museum, pp. 14 - 33
2019ÌýÌýÌýChapter 24,Ìý“Race, Perception, and Responsibility in Illustration,"ÌýinÌýA Companion toÌýIllustration,ÌýAlan Male, Editor,ÌýWiley Blackwell Publishing, USA
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​Conference Papers
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý“Illustration, Adaptation, and Trans Mediations of the Uncle Tom's Cabin Narrative,"Ìý12thÌýIllustration Research Symposium 2022,ÌýFalmouth University, Falmouth, UK
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý“Race and the Education of Future Illustrators,"ÌýICON11 Educators Symposium,ÌýKansas City, MO
2021ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý“The Discussion of Race in the Education of Future Illustrators,"Ìý11thÌýIllustration Research Symposium 2021,ÌýKingston University, London, UKÌý
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Invited Presentations, PodcastsÌý
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýThe Illustration Department Podcast, guest of host Giuseppe Castellano
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Guest Critic
2021ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýGraduate Critic,ÌýMaryland College of Art, MFA in Illustration Practice
2021ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýIllustration Critic,ÌýPratt Institute, Illustration Program, Professor Rudy Gutierrez
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Press Articles
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýBerkshire Eagle Art Review, “REVIEW: Representation matters: Race and perception are center stage in 'Imprinted: Illustrating Race' at the Norman Rockwell Museum"Ìý
2022ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýBoston Globe,Ìý“Eyes of the Artists Examine Race, Then and Now"
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​Memberships and Boards
Present – 2020
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýSociety of Illustrators Board of Directors
2021 - 2009ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýAir Force Art Program