Rob Gibsun
Illustrator
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Rob Gibsun has been in love with the visual and performing arts since his youth. Graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Communication Arts department, Rob's art and poetry have been published in Yemassee Journal, The Offing, Kinfolks Quarterly, Minetta Review, Amendment. As a teaching artist, Gibsun has instructed watercolor painting classes with senior citizens at Pine Camp Art Center and facilitated creative writing and performance workshops with inner city youth through Richmond-area non-profit Art180. Gibsun has shared stages with Sonia Sanchez, Charlie Wilson, Saul Williams and Lianne La Havas. Founder of VCU's award-winning poetry organization, Good Clear Sound, Rob has extensive knowledge as a poetry slam coach. A TEDxRVA Speaker, Southern Fried Poetry Slam Champion and Verses and Flow Poet, he urges you to keep it real, create fearlessly, and work with what you got to get what you want. Find more of Rob’s art at robartistic.weebly.com
Rob Gibsun illustrated:
Top Ten Books for 2022 In The Margins Book Award
by Damarco, Emilie, and Japan of Reach Incorporated
Damarco, Emilie, and Japan wanted to write a story about how friends can disagree and move through disagreements about important issues. Cody and Nene are best friends, and they have been all their lives. But when the Black Lives Matter protests erupt in response to police violence, they realize they may not be so alike after all. While Nene defends cops like her uncle — “Not all cops are like that!” — Cody gets more and more upset about injustice. This movement will put their friendship to the test, and may push them into separate corners just when they need each other most. Can they learn to hear each other out and mend their friendship?
ISBN: 978-1-950807-09-3
Age: 4-9
Lexile: 540L
Page Count: 38
Published: Fall 2020