We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Robyne Robinson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Robyne below.

Robyne, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful project has been working as Art Consultant on the $28 million dollar restoration of the Coliseum Building in Minneapolis’ Longfellow neighborhood. I’ve spent the last two years planning temporary and permanent public art installations with a woman-led team of developers, architects and community consultants redesigning the 82,000 sq. ft. building into a commercial, retail. and historic preservation site. The 100-year-old building was one of the few area landmarks that withstood the anger and destruction of rioters following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police in the Spring of 2020. Adding Public Art as a component of the Coliseum’s redevelopment lets the public be a part of each phase of the reconstruction, reaffirms the community’s desire to restore pride to the historic neighborhood, and collaborates with arts organizations to preserve art created by collectives, professional artists and street muralists in the days following the riots.

Robyne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My path to becoming an art consultant wasn’t created in a straight line. I came from an Arts, Education and Politics family in Chicago. I studied Journalism and Communications, eventually working as a TV reporter in Indiana, Virginia, Texas and Maryland before becoming the first African American prime time news anchor in the Twin Cities. My Emmy winning coverage of the Arts and Entertainment scene acknowledged the worldwide contributions of Minnesota artists in music, theater, film and the performing and visual arts. It also won praise from artists such as Prince, who gave me one of his first interviews and maintained a relationship with me throughout his career. At the same time I also owned a contemporary art gallery, flatland, that was featured in publications such as Elle Decor, Art News and Juxtapoz Magazine.

These experiences gave me the opportunity to transition from broadcasting into public art as Art Director for MSP Airport, creating film and performing arts programming, gallery exhibitions, and working with airport architects to create the airport’s signature digital art sculpture by artist Jen Lewin as well as display cases for non-profit art exhibitions and sales and tile art community for the remodel of the airport’s 300 restrooms. It’s one of the airport’s most popular public art projects.

After six years at the airport, I decided to branch out on my own and create fiveXfive Public Art Consultants, which works on community as well as corporate and municipal projects. We’re done basketball court murals with local artists at Phelps Park – just a block from where George Floyd was murdered; supervise large-scale installations at MSP Airport as well as serve on the selection committee for the Prince mural in downtown Minneapolis.

What’s most important to me as an art consultant is working on legacy building projects. Public Art should be an exercise in democracy – giving the public unrestricted access to all forms of expression, chosen by the public. People should be able to connect their lives to the artwork in their community – culturally, historically; It can be a place of pride. Of comfort and security. Even playing a part in the creation and installation of the artwork itself. Emotional equity is a very important part of the Public Art process.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I’m old fashioned. I believe art should be a tangible investment. Something that evokes a visceral response when you look at it or hold it. NFT’s feel too much like a high-priced Ponzi scheme.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

2020 was my year to rechart my course again after first leaving TV news, then the airport. fiveXfive was just getting off the ground, but slow in winning sustainable public art projects that would keep income coming in. I realized in order for my consulting firm to be successful in the Twin Cities, I needed to establish myself outside of the Twin Cities first. So I moved to California in February of that year to take a position as the Public Art Coordinator for the City of Carlsbad in Southern California while seeking public art projects in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Three weeks after starting my new job in Carlsbad, the Pandemic hit. Shut in with no abililty to do public art installations or community programs, museums and galleries were shut and the public’s fear of being in proximity of each other forced public art online, After five months of watching city administrators make budget cuts in order to stay afloat, I realized I was watching the clock run out on my position.

As that Memorial Day weekend was coming to an end, I video was texted to me of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of a black man as people shouted and screamed. The next 72 hours were filled with horror as I watched live reports on Minneapolis neighborhoods I once lived and shopped in filled with smoke and fire while protestors were met with police in riot gear. As residents began picking up the pieces in the aftermath, I began planning the first online town hall meeting of artists to talk about why the riots happened and the coincidence that it was 50 years following the Detroit riots which spawned AFRICOBRA and the 1968 Black Arts Movement. It was also one of the first conversations on diversity and inclusion in the arts world and commoditization of Black Art by the cultural institutions immediately after Floyd’s murder. More than 700 people attended across the US, including staff from the Smithsonian. Another 500 watched from Brazil, which is also undergoing an Afro-Brazilian cultural revolution. “Black Art in the Era of Protest” was suggested watching by the University of Minnesota.

It was then I realized I would be happier as a multi-hyphenate – working on multiple projects that were personally fulfilling, I quit my job in Carlsbad and moved into my rental in Santa Fe, which was considerably cheaper than California. I began pitching story ideas to arts and lifestyle magazines to enrich the journalist in me. fiveXfive was generating interesting public art projects stemming from the radical physical and socio-political transformation of the Twin Cities. And I took a public art position in Albuquerque that’s given me opportunities to plan projects on a national and international scale benefitting indigenous artists and artists of color. It was the best personal and professional decision I made for myself.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fivexfiveart.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fivexfivepublicartconsultants
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/fivexfivepublicart
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/robyne-robinson-a427497
• Twitter: @fivexfivepubli1
• Youtube: @robynerobinson6974
• Other: https://www.muckrack.com/robyne-robinson

Image Credits
Phelps Park Basketball Court Mural : Artist, Jendayi Berry. Photographer: Jackson Tyler Reddy Coliseum Building Phase One Public Art Reveal: Artists: Noah Lawrence-Holder, Emma Eubanks, Precious Wallace, Daren Scott Hill Photographer: Anthony Kiene Prince Mural: Artist: Hiero Veiga Photography: fiveXfive Public Art Consultants Funky Grits Cafe Mural: Artist: Reggie LeFlore Photography: fiveXfive Public Art Consultants