Robin J. Miller
Artist, Author, Poet, Educator
Public Speaker
Cape Cod, MA has become home to the Millers since their retirement in 2012. These days Robin Joyce Miller has been creating a Black Lives Matter Series for Cotuit Center for the Arts. Together she and her husband, James Walter Miller, perform in these multimedia slideshow presentations. She is also a resident artist at Zion Union Heritage Museum.
Miller is a Native New Yorker who received a B.S. in early childhood education from Baruch College and an M.S. in learning disabilities from Lehman College. She studied fine art at a variety of schools including the New York School of Interior Design, Parson’s School of Design, Manhattanville College, College of New Rochelle and LaGuardia Community College’s Sabbatical Program for teachers.
Robin retired from the NYC school system after a little more than 30 successful and joyous years of teaching. She was a special education teacher for the first half of her career and ended as a highly celebrated art educator. During her years as a teacher of visual arts, Robin became a facilitator for NYC’s Blueprint for the Arts and earned the honors of both NYC and NY State Region 8 Art Educator of the Year. She has conducted art workshops for teachers across the city in many venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA – the Museum of Modern Art.
Robin has also developed as a professional artist, author, illustrator and poet. In 1992 she created a print ad for Pepsi honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. under the pseudonym, r.j. scribbles.
Robin co-authored, The Faithful Journey – From Slavery to Presidency, with her husband, James W. Miller. She also wrote and illustrated Who Do You Say That I Am – A Man Called Jesus with paintings inspired by Ethiopian Christian art. Miller specializes in African American Heritage art and poetry. Paintings from her book, A Humble Village, have been exhibited in the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the African American Museum of Hempstead, NY.
None of this could be possible, if not for God’s Grace and the support of a loving family that definitely includes her mother who has always been a beacon of light, faith and encouragement. She also credits her St. Albans Congregational Church family for their support and continuous opportunities for inspiration.
Group Exhibits – Zion Union Heritage Museum 2019, 2020, 2021
Cotuit Center for the Arts -2018, 2019
Falmouth Art Center -2021
Affiliations
– Zion Union Heritage Museum
– Cotuit Center for the Arts
– Falmouth Art Center
Media
Books and the World: Robin Miller and James Miller – YouTube
Education
- 1997 -1998 LaGuardia Community College, Sabbatical Visual Arts Program
- 1981 -1982 Herbert S. Lehman , Bronx, NY, MS in Learning Disabilities
- 1973 -1978 Bernard Baruch College, NY, NY. BS. Early Childhood Educ.
- Studied Art at: Parsons School of Design, NY.NY
NY School of Interior Design, NY, NY
Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY
Certification
NY State Certification in Visual Arts
NY State Certification in Special Education
Solo Exhibits
- 2018 Museums on the Green, Falmouth, MA
- 2017 Wilbrahaim Monsoon Academy
- 2016 L. Hughes Library, Queens, NY
Round Hill Community Church, Greenwich, CT
Elms College, Chicopee, MA - 2012 Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn, NY
- 2011-12 African American Museum Hempstead, NY
- 2009 Museum of Arts and Culture, New Rochelle, NY
- 2006 BCC Hall of Fame Gallery, CUNY, Bronx, NY
- 2003-08 St Albans Congregational Church, Family Life Center, Queens, NY
- 2000 Simone’s Gallery, Pelham, NY
- 1999 Greenburgh Library, Greenburgh, NY
Group Exhibits
- 2018 Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
- 2017 Cotuit Art Center, Cotuit, MA
- 2014 Cotuit Art Center, Cotuit, MA
- 2013 Present Zion Union Heritage Museum, Hyannis, MA
- 2009 Mount Vernon Library, Mt Vernon, NY
- 2008-14 AC-BAW, Mount Vernon,NY
- 2007 Westchester Arts Council, White Plains, NY
Westchester Arts Council, White Plains, NY - 2006 ACA Gallery – Faith Ringgold – Anyone Can Fly Exhibit, NY.
Sackler Gallery – Palace Theater, Stamford, CT
Rosenthal Gallery – Rich Forum, Stamford, CT
Diageo Fine Art Gallery – Diageo, Norwalk, CT
Backstreet Gallery, New Rochelle, NY
Broome Street Gallery, NY. NY - 2004-05 Lehman College Gallery, CUNY, Bronx, NY
Simone’s Gallery, Pelham, NY - 2002 Lumen Winter Gallery, New Rochelle, NY
- 1998 Black National Theater of Harlem, NY
City Island Arts Org, Bronx, NY
Educator Awards
- 2012 Artist/Educator Award -Talladega College Alumni Association
- 2012 Exemplary Leadership Award – Senator Jeffrey Klien
- 2010 The Lab School Scholarship – Robert Rauschenberg Foundation
- 2009 Printmaking Scholarship – Anyone Can Fly Foundation
- 2007 NYCATA (NYCity Art Teacher Assoc.) – Art Educator of the Year
- 2007 NYSATA (NYState Art Teacher Associ.) Region 8 Art Educ. of the Year
- 2006 NCNW – Contributions To Community
- 2001 Thurgood Marshall Afr. Amer. Educators Award
- 2010 Thurgood Marshall Afr. Amer. Educators Award
Commission
- 1992 Pepsi Ad – Illustrate an ad honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which ran in Ebony, Essence, Jet, Black Enterprise and the Amsterdam News.
Author/Illustrator
- 2018 The Faithful Journey
- 2015 Who Do You Say That I Am – A Man Called Jesus
- 2013 Rhythms of a Faithful Journey
- 2013 A Humble Village
- 2005 Jazz History Quilt Book
- 1992 Back To School, a children’s book of poems
- 1992 Peace and Racial Harmony Poster
Museum Workshops – Facilitator
- 2015 Zion Union Heritage Museum, Hyannis, MA
- 2010 MoMA – Understanding Art NY, NY
- 2009 Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, NY
Professional Speaking Engagements
- 2018 Cotuit Library – jazz/art presentation
Museums on the Green
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis – jazz/art presentation
Sudbury Methodist Church – sermon/presentation
No Place For Hate Falmouth – MLK Day – keynote speaker
Federated Church of Orleans – sermon/presentation
Racial Justice Provincetown - 2017 1717 Meetinghouse, West Barnstable
Nauset High School – White Privilege Symposium
Cotuit Federated Church
Federated Church of Hyannis – sermon
Wilbrahaim Monsoon Academy
Rocky Hill School - 2016 Federated Church of Orleans – sermon
West Parish UCC – sermon - 2013 West Parish UCC – sermon
- 2012 Present – Libraries, Zion Union Museum, Schools, Colleges, Churches
- 2012 African American Museum of Hempstead, NY
- 2011 Open Dialogue with Dr. Samella Lewis, Bishop’s School, La Jolla, CA
- 2010 Keynote Speaker – “Artist” – PS 194
Affiliations
- St. Albans Congregational Church UCC
- NCNW – National Council of Negro Women
- BAIA – Black Art in America http://www.blackartinamerica.com/
- West Parish of Barnstable Church UCC