Meet the Newest Board Member: Anthony Robinson
We’re thrilled to welcome Anthony Robinson as the newest member of the Board of Directors!
With a background in stand-up comedy and marketing, and a deep appreciation for the arts, Anthony brings strategy, creativity, and heart to our community.
Read on for a conversation between Anthony and Journey Arts’ executive director Carly Rapaport-Stein.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CRS: Hi Anthony! I’ve been lucky enough to get to know you over the last year and a half, and I’m so glad I get the chance to introduce you to our audience as Journey Arts’ newest board member. Let’s start with something fun: What are three things everyone should know about you?
AR: So glad to be chatting with you today, Carly!
I’ve got 2 boys, Izaak and Locke. Locke is very artistic and will probably be an artist one day. The way that he thinks and sees the world is inspiring. When you have someone that young that can pick up on how people intend art to be -- when you see a child see it, and you see it through their eyes, it opens you up to how you could see it, or to see it in a different way. Having a child see the world like this is an inspiration to me, and one of the reasons I’m glad to be on the Board.
Another thing driving my appreciation for the arts is that I was a stand-up comedian in my past history and also ran a comedy club for 14 years. I toured around the nation and did shows with Natasha Leggero, Aries Spears, and others. It was a lot of fun -- but a lot of late nights, not sustainable, and not a lot of money! I have a love of the stage and an understanding of audiences and bringing people out to have a good time -- and will still occasionally do stand-up comedy if the opportunity presents itself.
I’ve been working in marketing for 15 years, and have worked with a lot of nonprofits, universities, retail, and everything in between, and I always wanted to apply my skill set to mission-based and community-based organizations -- and that was my inspiration for launching my own company.
Being on a board, launching my own company, doing all these things -- I guess you could say it’s my proper 40-year crisis of “I’m not doing enough and need to do more!”
CRS: You are doing a lot! And I’m curious: What drew you to Philly?
AR: My parents are from Philly -- my dad from Germantown, my mom from Chester. I grew up in Delaware but was always in Philly visiting my family. After college, I was able to move back to Philly and raise my kids in an area with family and with people who look like them -- it’s something I appreciate deeply. Philly is a place where you can have an unique impact: it’s interconnected, where everyone is rooting for each other and for the city itself, and that uniqueness draws people here, and makes it feel like home. And I’ve found that organizations here are a fantastic example of supporting our local artists while supporting the city and giving it something unique that no one else has. Being part of that arts support system is an honor.
“...going to a show as intimate as Journey Arts shows, you can close your eyes and go wherever the artist leads. It’s healing AND nurturing.”
CRS: It’s such a wonderful artistic community. We’ve got so many fantastic arts organizations here, so I’d love to know: What’s one word you’d use to describe Journey Arts that sets us apart?
AR: Nurturing. I feel strongly about that. I think about the Table Sessions when I think about nurturing; it’s like the Thanksgiving table or family dinners, where you’re sitting with people that you know and love, where you’re gaining knowledge, giving knowledge, and feeding yourself -- it’s the ultimate comfort. There are not a lot of places outside of your home that can give you that -- where someone who hasn’t met you, ever, can be that vulnerable by inviting you in, and expect you to listen and to accept them where they are. These spaces where you could share your story and the history of your culture and take it all in, ask questions and be curious -- I just think it’s one of the most unique and all-embracing experiences you could have.
And another word I’d add is healing. We talk about how disconnected we feel post-COVID, and you go to a Journey Arts show, and you feel that sense of connection that’s been missing. I think people are searching for that in hobbies and other sorts of things, but going to a show as intimate as Journey Arts shows, you can close your eyes and go wherever the artist leads. It’s healing AND nurturing. We’ve all been broken to some degree by what we went through during the pandemic, and I think what Journey Arts provides is that healing.
“Here someone who hasn’t met you ever, can be that vulnerable— inviting you in, and expect you to listen and to accept them where they are. You could share your story and the history of your culture and take it all in, ask questions and be curious — I just think it’s one of the most unique and all-embracing experiences you could have. ”
CRS: That’s so lovely, and I feel the same way. I know you’re also looking forward to the season coming up, and I wonder, is there anything you just can’t wait to see?
AR: Just being invited to see the beginning thoughts of the MIWA performance was something so incredible and special. Someone sharing their vulnerability and unfinished work in a house in a living room was intimate and deeply profound. I’m also just moved by Talie and Lunise’s story and how they’ve navigated a sense of home. You don’t often get a portrait of a home and homeland in this intimate way, and with their preview still echoing in my mind, I can’t wait to see how they have completed that artistic journey. I’ll be there on the first two nights (November 6 and 7) and am excited to see where the art has taken them, and to meet more Journey Arts audience members.
CRS: It’ll be a beautiful evening for sure. And is there anything else that you’re looking forward to as our newest board member?
AR: I’m still in the very beginning stages of board service! When someone asks you to be part of the board, it’s a unique experience -- it’s service to something. You sure better believe in it. And to be at a point in your career where someone asks you for your thoughts and skills in service of something is such a unique feeling.
The shows are already incredible. I just want to help get people to be Journey Arts cultists! This work is transformative -- for Journey Arts, for the arts, for the artists. It is so important, especially now, that people are hearing these stories that we’re trying to tell. So much of what happens in popular culture right now is lacking an aspect of storytelling, understanding, and empathy. These shows need to be experienced and loved and taken in. I feel that importance in the mission of Journey Arts and where we are today. If my skillset could tell a story to help convince someone that they matter and that their story should be cared for -- that feels really important right now. I take up that mission and take it seriously. I’m constantly thinking about how I can help push this further -- and that’s really exciting.
