Art is Human Nature

A series finale to tie it all together...

It's time to close, but I hope you enjoyed your time in the gallery.

What is art to you?

“You guys healed me in so many ways.” - My Mom

In the final episode before the finale, Alexander speaks with his mother. They walk through the experiences that have led them to this moment, Alexander shares a piece of poetry and they discuss his painting "Momma."

“Education does not dictate talent.” (Stephanie Small)

In this episode, Alexander speaks with Stephanie Small (founder and director of BLACK Taxi - a creative & strategic division of the ad agency Taxi with the program mission of attracting, hiring, and retaining Black talent to lead change.)

“It feels like protection to prevent yourself from knowing, but really you're preventing yourself from growing.” - Haviah Mighty

In this episode, Alexander speaks with Polaris Music Prize recipient and 2022 Juno award winner Haviah Mighty (@haviahmighty). They discuss the difficult but important growth that has come out of the past year, Haviah's single "Protest," her mixtape "Stock Exchange", and Alexander's "Human Nature" painting.

See the artwork for this episode: artbyrobinson.com/episode-7-human-nature

For updates follow at @artbyrobinson

Follow @haviahmighty

Check out Haviah's latest single Flamenco: https://linktr.ee/haviahmighty

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: https://soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Art

“True authenticity, that’s what love is to me.” - Stephanie (@_steph.anya)

See the artwork for this episode: artbyrobinson.com/episode-6-at-your-best-you-are-love

Subscribe to Stephanie’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/stephanya

In this episode, Alexander speaks with Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile (licensed associate marriage & family therapist). Stephanie shares some of the biggest struggles her clients have faced while also having an open discussion with Alexander about relationships and this episode’s painting, "At Your Best (You Are Love).”

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Arts

“Is it the sadness or the ashiness?” - Marlon Palmer (@thatdudemcfly)

See the artwork for this episode: artbyrobinson.com/episode-5-ashy-seasonal-depression

Check out Marlon's podcast Extra Gravy: https://linktr.ee/extragravyshow

In this episode, Alexander speaks with Marlon Palmer (@thatdudemcfly). They discuss original thought, comedy, have some good laughs, and discuss Alexander's painting, "Ashy Seasonal Depression."

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Arts

“In therapy, we cry, yes, but we also laugh together...”

- Nicole Franklin (@livefreecs)

See the artwork for this episode: https://www.artbyrobinson.com/episode-4-tetris-self-care

Donate to the Black Mental Health Fund: https://gofund.me/6809e734

For part 2 of Tetris/Self-Care, Alexander speaks with Nicole Franklin (registered social worker). Building on the topics discussed in part 1, they get into the many common and uncommon forms of self-care and therapy that can be effective for a wider range of individuals.

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: https://soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Arts

“Each of us is playing our own unique game of Tetris.”

- Alexander Robinson

See the artwork for this episode: https://www.artbyrobinson.com/episode-3-tetris-self-care

Check out Megan's non-profit organization: https://www.twentytwentyarts.com/

In this episode, Alexander speaks with Megan Kee (mental health advocate and founder of @TwentyTwentyArts) as she gives her interpretation of his painting "Tetris/Self-care" and dives into some of the topics that inspired the artwork like mental health and self-care.

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: https://soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Arts

“I think that there are a lot of things that are a part of activism that don’t always get categorized as such.” - Robyn Maynard (@policingblack)

See the artwork for this episode: https://www.artbyrobinson.com/episode-2-matching-descriptions

Robyn Maynard and Pascale Diverlus' Political Education Platform: https://www.buildingtheworldwewant.com/

For this episode, Alexander speaks with Robyn Maynard (award-winning author and activist) as she brilliantly covers topics like racial profiling, police brutality, and overall state violence that is enacted against Black lives while also sharing her interpretation of his painting titled “Matching Descriptions.”

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: https://soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Arts

"The flowers that are dim or the ones that are falling, we end up asking what happened to them?"

- Erick Bonilla

See the artwork for this episode: https://www.artbyrobinson.com/episode-1-garden

The artwork for the first episode of the podcast is titled 'Garden.' It is a painting based on Alexander's youth and teenage years. With this being the case, the experts for this episode are Roosevelth and Erick Bonilla who are 2 of his best friends that he's known for over 15 years. The 3 of them discuss the artwork and get into a lot of the critical moments of influence that brought them to where they are now.

All music used is produced by Roosevelth: https://soundcloud.com/roosevelth

Funded by Canada Council for the Arts