Robert McBride

ROBERT MC BRIDE POB 831. Bellows Falls, VT 05101. (802) 463-1992

A native of California, Robert McBride was educated at the University of California at Berkeley .where he received a B.A. in painting. He moved to New York City where he earned an M.F.A. at Hunter College and was a founding member of Painting Space 122 an alternate art space on Manhattan's lower east side

The focus of Mr. McBride's work is color, color as painting. color as sculpture. "Creating the work allows me to translate much of the stimulation (visual, audio, emotional) that I take in from living into tangible forms. Often people respond to my work as landscape with a topographical perspective (as if they were looking down from above). The texture of the colors and the groupings of marks add a strong narrative sense to the work. I liken the creation of my work to a conversation. I approach the blank surface with a vocabulary (line, form, color). I have no set idea (sketch) of what I want the completed work to look like. As I commit myself to the work (by applying color) a rapport develops between the painting/sculpture and myself." In 1995 he moved to Bellows Falls, Vermont full time and founded, the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) www.ramp-vt.org.

RAMP has been working diligently for over a decade to demonstrate that artists play a significant role in the sustainability of rural communities culturally and economically. RAMP has spearheaded a number of successful projects including creating affordable live/work spaces for artists, public art projects and artist town meetings that directly engage artists in the community. He also serves and has served on a variety of boards:

Exhibitions: VT Sate Craft Open Studio Weekend 2010-2006 2007:Brooks Library, Brattleboro VT 2006: 360 Degrees, Brattleboro Museum 2005: A Span in Time, one person exhibition ,PMW Gallery, Stamford, CT

He serves/ed on the boards of: Preservation Trust of Vermont Advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation State of Vermont Advisory Board for Cultural Heritage Tourism Steering Committee for the Connecticut River National Byway Southern Vermont Regional Marketing Program Great River Arts Institute Main Street Arts Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance Windham Regional Planning Commission, at-large member Destination Bellows Falls.

Degrees and Awards: University of California, Berkeley BA Painting Hunter College, M.F.A. Painting Founding Member PS 122, NYC Snelling Leadership Institute Vermont Arts Council Achievement Award Vermont Community Leadership Award ESSE, Third Sector Economy, Bologna, Italy 2009