Robyn Tomlin
Department of Film and Media Arts
Instructor

102 Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse, NY 13244-1210
Tomlin has been a teacher (here, there, and everywhere) over twenty-five years and is a compassionate instructor that enjoys helping her students discover their own higher levels of expression, skills, and excellence. Tomlin’s video’s and video-sculptures have been shown internationally and have won numerous awards. Her most recent areas of artistic exploration include: storytelling, culture & morals, sociopath/narcissism, chaos and water, and anything that transcends the 4-corners of the ‘screen’ (installation, virtual reality, performance, etc). Tomlin was born and raised in coastal British Columbia, Canada where she earned a B.A in Psychology (University of Victoria). From there she moved to Japan where she resided for fourteen years and began her career in video. There she learned Japanese and the basic tenants of Buddhism. In Japan, Tomlin produced her own weekly television program on topics of interest to her. She also produced freelance documentaries broadcast on Japanese national television stations. Later, she switched to Video Art and with the producers of Shibuya’s large building screens began a Big Screen program called ‘Gallery Q’ for Video and Graphic Art. She also worked as a freelance travel photo Journalist while in Japan. She came to Syracuse through offer of Full Fellowship (2001) for a M.F.A in Video Art by Syracuse University. In addition to teaching five to six sections at SU a year, Tomlin is also a Licensed Master of Social Work (SU 2012) and practices as a Behavioral Health Specialist.
Education
- M.F.A., M.S.W., Syracuse University
Selected Exhibitions
Tomlin has had her work shown all over the world, including:
- Tokyo International Video Festival – Communication Award for Best New Innovations in Digital Effects
- International Symposium on Water – Tokyo Embassy Japan
- “Gallery-Q,” Shibuya Station – Tokyo
- Planet in Focus International Video Festival – Toronto
- WomanMade Gallery – Chicago
- American Institute of Architecture and Whitney Museum – NYC
- Ford Gallery – Eastern Michigan University
- Everson Museum of Art 2002 Biennial “Best of Show”
- TV19 – Chicago
- The Syracuse International Film Festival nominated in two categories: “Best of Festival Experimental” and “Best New York State Artist”
- International Festival of Video and New Media’ – Chile
- Women Pioneers in Video Art, Randers Museum – Denmark