ABOUT ME
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art |
Concentrations in Illustration & Art Education | Minor in Art History |
Graduated with Distinction
Rob Bates is a former combat artist, freelance illustrator, and art educator with work commissioned by THE NEW YORK OBSERVER, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, and CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE. His art documenting the post 9/11 war effort has been the subject of various news outlets, to include AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA, CHARLOTTE TALKS, CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, and THE NEW YORK TIMES.
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Drawings and paintings from his two combat tours as a Marine infantryman and his 2012 trip to Afghanistan as a civilian war correspondent now reside in the permanent collections of the SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, NATIONAL MUSEUM of the MARINE CORPS, AMERICAN EMBASSY in BEIJING, CHINA, and the UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA at CHARLOTTE.
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He is the recipient of the Art Instruction Schools 2012 Outstanding Graduate of the Year Award, the Marine Corps Heritage 2013 Col. Thomason Combat Art Award, and the UNC Charlotte 2015 Senior Studio Artist of the Year Award.
Rob resides in Tallahassee, FL with his wife, kid, and cat.