CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
ABOUT CRAFTING YOUR ARTIST STATEMENT
We all learned so much! I've never seen our students writing down notes so furiously for such a sustained amount of time. What was even better is they were taking notes from your critiques of all the artist statements, not just their own.
—Josephine Halvorson, Professor of Art and Chair of Graduate Studies in Painting,
The 2022 University Lecturer, School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, Boston University
For the first time since I began making art, I am excited about writing my statement and my bio. I learned so much!
—Beatrice Scaccia, artist
It was a wonderful experience for me to be a student again—and a transformative, lightbulb-going-on-above-my-head moment of learning.
—David Snyder, Assistant Professor of Art, Sculpture, School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, Boston University
ABOUT INSTAGRAM FOR ARTISTS
Robin's classes for the residents at ISCP are practical, fun, and transformative. She gives artists and curators plenty of immediate, individualized feedback, and guidance that gets them to keep thinking about how to best communicate about what they do long after the workshop has ended. Whether you're feeling stuck and need a serious overhaul or just want to shake things up a bit, I cannot recommend these classes more.
—Alison Kuo, Director of Programs, International Studio & Curatorial Program
I feel more informed, capable and most importantly, motivated to more creatively engage with this platform.
—Kevin Sloan, artist
A fresh, insightful and updated take on how to approach social media + writing about yourself and art. Above all, I learned what I should focus on and what to leave out, making working on my posts and website efficient and actually fun to finesse.
—Doreen Wittenbols, artist
It was chock full of info I wish I'd known a long time ago. It was super to hear Robin’s comments on everyone's Instagram accounts.
—Kathryn Hart, artist
Robin is a very engaging presenter! She boiled the basics of using Instagram for artists down into an easy-to-digest format. I made three straightforward changes to my Instagram profile immediately after the class and had a positive response online fairly quickly.
—Stephanie Todhunter, Programming Manager, Cambridge Art Association
ABOUT ART WRITING FOR ART PROFESSIONALS
When it comes to getting the word out in the art world, there’s no one better than Robin Cembalest. Her deep background in editorial work, and razor-sharp understanding of social media and other distribution platforms, combine into a fully integrated view of communications. She considers the topic from multiple points of view—not just how to promote an idea or a project, but how promotion fits into a broader pattern of community-building.
Robin delivers her expertise with humor and humanity. She tailors her advice to the particular needs of each audience—whether that be an institution, a group of artists, curators, or writers. Invaluable insights!
—Glenn Adamson, Independent Author and Curator
ABOUT INSTAGRAM FOR ART PROFESSIONALS
Our gallery team participated in the webinars Instagram for Art Professionals and Art Writing for Art Professionals, both of which we found to be direct, insightful, and excellent food for thought about how we craft our social media and present our point of view. Robin gives you a quick take of how a professional arts writer views your materials, and provides some excellent feedback to consider.
—Kathryn Gremley, Penland Gallery & Visitors Center Director
ABOUT CRAFTING YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
Robin has an amazing ability to distill information down into easy-to-follow prompts. I found it especially helpful to watch the other artists present their elevator pitches to the class and receive immediate and targeted feedback from Robin.
—Stephanie Todhunter, Programming Manager, Cambridge Art Association
Robin Cembalest's elevator pitch workshop was so useful. It completely exceeded my expectations! I have actually used the tools she gave for my “elevator pitch” several times in just the days following the webinar. I have already recommended the workshop to a few friends because I know she'll have to offer this highly useful class to elevate an artist's (or any creative's) career aspirations.
—Duhirwe Rushemeza, artist
ABOUT MY CUSTOM COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOPS
Robin’s workshop series has proved to be tremendously helpful to the artists of Pen + Brush’s greater community. From the artists who participated, I have seen continual growth in their online and web presence. Her workshops provided a comprehensive and deeply insightful tool kit that our artists have continued to foster since working with Robin.
—Dawn Delikat, Executive Director, Pen + Brush
Robin offered a relevant and dynamic workshop to our undergraduate students. The content was expertly tailored to fit the needs of first years to seniors, writing resumes and cover letters for internships and entry level positions. Beyond highlighting the mechanics of both documents, Robin offered an insider’s perspective that broadened their thinking and approach.
—Rachel Brown, Program Manager,
Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective
Robin custom created a Self-Promotion workshop for Milwaukee Artist Resource Network's Mentorship Program that went in-depth on how an artist can think about utilizing different social media platforms and tools to best promote their work. Her current real-life examples and very expansive approach gave each artist of varying levels new ways to approach getting their work out there. Such a relevant and helpful workshop!
—Lois Bielefeld, Program Director, Milwaukee Artist Resource Network
"Robin developed a rich and meaningful course on communication strategies. Her energetic style and attentive coaching eagerly motivated participants to adopt her suggestions for developing an authentic voice. Participants especially enjoyed Robin’s playful interpersonal communication exercises that offered practical tips on building audiences and sustaining professional relationships, on and offline, through clear and impactful communication."
—Mario Torries, former manager, Artist in the Marketplace program, Bronx Museum
Robin led a series of workshops for our artist community on building their digital identity. After each experience participants left excited for the next opportunity to chat with Robin. From discussions about what it means to be an artist to the practical “what should be in my artist statement,” Robin has been a generous, kind, and incredibly well-informed advocate for our artist community.
With a range of technologies and platforms available to share artist content it can be overwhelming. Robin’s insights into social media and how to best get your name and work out there invigorated our artists to refocus and try new things. Robin teaches the things you don't learn in school: How to talk, share, and promote your work.
—Michael Ano, Director of Public Programs and Engagement, 18th Street Arts
With a playful approach, and serious insight, Robin was able to customize multiple courses based on the particular needs of each of our audiences. Her core knowledge of communication strategies, coupled with her inspiring comfort within an ever evolving landscape, make her an invaluable resource for catching up on, and exploring, social media and online marketing realities.
—Derek Webster, Associate Director for the Arts,
Yale Office of Career Strategy
In my tenure as the graduate student program coordinator for CalArts, having a series of Robin Cembalest's workshops as preparation for graduation was the best investment I made to help my cohort transition from the academic to the professional art world.
Her knowledge regarding the dynamics involved in the promotion of a career in the art world and her first-hand experience of the complex and ever-changing space of the publishing world made her workshops a vital source for the effectiveness of our graduating exhibition and the continued success of my graduating cohort. After a year, I continue seeing my colleagues using her advice when it comes to their presence on social media as a part of the dissemination of their work.
—Juan Herrera, Former Graduate Student Program Coordinator, CalArts
ABOUT PROMOTING YOURSELF AND YOUR ART
Fantastic workshop! It was on target, funny, and much food for thought!
—Scherezade García-Vazquez, Assistant Professor, Studio Art, Department of Art and Art History, University of Texas at Austin
I had the pleasure of laughing for two hours straight as Robin used her wit to deliver some serious food for thought about social media, messaging and elevator pitches. Robin’s delivery is relaxed and comfortable as she demystifies the writing process for artists. After she broke down all the parts of well-written editorial structures, I left feeling confident that I had the ingredients to cook up my own written content for short and long artist bios and statements for all sorts of contexts, as well as some key tweaks to optimize my Instagram and website.
—Eva Avenue, artist and student recruiter, Art Students League