“Dr. Burroughs’ legacy speaks to how I approach my own work: creating spaces where our people can see themselves, tell their stories, and recognize the power they already hold. I’m drawn to Chicago’s history of Black cultural expression and the opportunity to learn from artists who carry that spirit forward in their neighborhoods.”
Rob "ProBlak" Gibbs is a visual artist, organizer, and community builder from Roxbury, MA. He has transformed Boston's cultural landscape, focusing on beautifying Black and Brown communities and a commitment to youth education. Gibbs’ recent 9-part Breathe Life mural series has received national acclaim, most recently as the first local and Black artist to paint the coveted Dewey Square Mural on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. As co-founder of Artists for Humanity, he devoted over 30 years to teaching creative skills to youth and partnering with institutions to offer real-time opportunities for emerging artists. He envisions graffiti and hip-hop as ways to educate young people. Gibbs has been recognized as one of Boston's most influential people and has received numerous awards, including the Boston Celtics' Hero Among Us Award and the MLK Drum Major Award. In 2021, the City of Boston proclaimed February 1 to be Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs day. He has been an artist-in-residence with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and MassArt. In 2023, Gibbs was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While grateful for the recognition of his work, it is Gibbs’ role as father to his daughter, and mentor to future generations, that drives his passion for creating images of beauty and resilience through murals and contemporary fine art.
Rob "ProBlak" Gibbs is a visual artist, organizer, and community builder from Roxbury, MA. He has transformed Boston's cultural landscape, focusing on beautifying Black and Brown communities and a commitment to youth education. Gibbs’ recent 9-part Breathe Life mural series has received national acclaim, most recently as the first local and Black artist to paint the coveted Dewey Square Mural on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. As co-founder of Artists for Humanity, he devoted over 30 years to teaching creative skills to youth and partnering with institutions to offer real-time opportunities for emerging artists. He envisions graffiti and hip-hop as ways to educate young people. Gibbs has been recognized as one of Boston's most influential people and has received numerous awards, including the Boston Celtics' Hero Among Us Award and the MLK Drum Major Award. In 2021, the City of Boston proclaimed February 1 to be Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs day. He has been an artist-in-residence with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and MassArt. In 2023, Gibbs was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While grateful for the recognition of his work, it is Gibbs’ role as father to his daughter, and mentor to future generations, that drives his passion for creating images of beauty and resilience through murals and contemporary fine art.
What you would you like Floating Museum's community and audiences to know about your practice?
My art is rooted in hip hop culture and I strive to capture its essence through my visual language. For me, hip hop is about more than just music – it's a way of life that celebrates the power of shared experience, resilience, and self-expression.
At the heart of my work is a commitment to creating art that feels like home – familiar, natural, and connected. Through my paintings, graffiti writing, and murals, I seek to tell stories of who we are, who we were, and where we are going.
What practices would you like to be in dialogue with?
I’d like to be in dialogue with muralists, educators, and artists working across public art, storytelling, and community building, exploring how we preserve memory while making room for the next generation
My art is rooted in hip hop culture and I strive to capture its essence through my visual language. For me, hip hop is about more than just music – it's a way of life that celebrates the power of shared experience, resilience, and self-expression.
At the heart of my work is a commitment to creating art that feels like home – familiar, natural, and connected. Through my paintings, graffiti writing, and murals, I seek to tell stories of who we are, who we were, and where we are going.
What practices would you like to be in dialogue with?
I’d like to be in dialogue with muralists, educators, and artists working across public art, storytelling, and community building, exploring how we preserve memory while making room for the next generation