On April 19th, the YSCA Community Center in Yellow Springs, Ohio will be hosting an Art Gallery in honor of Joseph Robinson, a resident of the village who passed away in 2012 due to health complications. The gallery will feature paintings and original poetry by Joseph reflecting his journey of eighty-one years of life. Joseph was an active member of the community while raising a family of six alongside his lovely wife, Joyce Robinson. As he was enjoying his retirement from Wright Patterson Air Force Base, he received his bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University where he took art classes, battled PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) and needed a kidney transplant. After being gifted a kidney from one of his daughters, he looked for a way to restore his soul. He began painting the local landmarks of Yellow Springs and would sell them at Street Fairs and Art on the Lawn, two local events where an artist can sell their art. What makes this artist so special and personal? I am one of his twenty-one grandchildren.
Though this exhibit holds a great deal of sentimental value for me, it also offers a unique snapshot of history for others. Joe left a mark on Yellow Springs, even if some of the residents don’t know it. In the 60s, he was president of the PTA and was the founder of the Yellow Springs Youth Soccer League. He served as a referee, baseball coach and number one fan of Yellow Springs High School sports. As a founding member of the Yellow Springs Boosters Club, they established a football program for Yellow Springs High School and built a stadium with lights. Even in death, Joe serves as a moral beacon for many of his grandchildren, including myself.
This gallery will be a way for friends, family, and the community to remember someone who captured the beauty and essence of Yellow Springs in his paintings. As his grandson, I am honored to carry on his legacy and help pass on his love for Yellow Springs through his art and the life he lived through his words. The event will open April 19th in Yellow Springs at the YSCA Community Center.
YS New Staff "Joseph Douglas Robinson" Website. https://ysnews.com/news/2012/07/joseph-douglas-robinson
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