For the Upbeat Visual Artists Who Seek Joy & Positivity
DENZEL PHOTOGRAPHY
JUSTIN TSUCALAS
For the Upbeat Visual Artists Who Seek Joy & Positivity
BRYAN ROBINSON
Bryan Robinson grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons— he just didn’ t know that the 2D animations from his favorites like“ The Flintstones” and“ The Smurfs” would inspire his creative practice for decades. Robinson, a filmmaker and public school teacher for more than 20 years, spent his youth drawing characters. When he returned to visual art in 2013, he began painting a series of 50 characters called“ Boneheads.” As Robinson thought about growing his business, he found inspiration in the“ geniuses” he looks up to— from his peers in music to heavyhitting artists like Basquiat, Emory Douglas and Keith Haring— and The Black Genius Art Show was born. Today, Robinson has an art gallery / retail space in Baltimore’ s Bromo Arts District, where visitors can see work made by him and local artists and purchase wearable and decorative art that features his favorite characters.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LEXINGTON MARKET, CREATIVELY BLACK BALTIMORE EXHIBIT, THE BLACK GENIUS ART SHOW
∙∙∙ Perfect Day
IN BALTIMORE
Robinson begins the morning with waffles from Connie’ s Chicken and Waffles or Ronny’ s Combo, both in Lexington Market, which opened in 1782 and is now one of six public markets in the city. If he’ s not making street art or filming, Robinson plays basketball at Carroll Park or Patterson Park. Carroll Park also has a nine-hole golf course, a large skating facility and a playground, while Patterson Park has a lake, an Audubon center and an ice-skating rink. He
ends the day with dinner at Next Phaze Café, which specializes in soul food.
If friends are visiting, Robinson likes to send them to his favorite downtown locations like the Creatively Black Baltimore exhibit in the Harborplace Light Street pavilion, which features for-sale work by Baltimore-based artists and the neighboring shops Cuples Tea House and Vinyl & Pages. As a bonus, there are several hotels within walking distance of the waterfront, including Robinson’ s recommendation: the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. VB
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