One family’s generational involvement in Joslyn creates a legacy of support.
For the Robino family, being involved in the community and giving back is just a part of their daily lives. Kyle and Mike Robino (pictured left at the June 3 Sheila Hicks: Material Voices gala) — joined by their daughters, Olivia, 17, and Ava, 10 — are heavily involved with many nonprofits. But there has always been a special interest in art and arts and culture organizations in Omaha. Kyle, the current President of the Joslyn Art Museum Association (JAMA), was an art major in college. Her appreciation for and interest in art began when she was a child, and was fostered by generations of her family.
As a child, Kyle’s mother, Sharon McGill, would bring her and her sister to Joslyn for art classes and other events. She recalls many times spent wandering the galleries while McGill, a dancer, rehearsed with the ballet in the Witherspoon Concert Hall. One of the Robino family’s most treasured photos is of McGill, nearly 50 years ago at Joslyn, standing next to Degas’s Little Dancer, Fourteen Years Old in her pointe shoes and tutu, surrounded by a group of preschool children.
Kyle’s grandmother, Elinor Ashton, was a docent at Joslyn for years. When she passed away, Martin Puryear’s Self (1978) was purchased in her memory and gifted to Joslyn. Kyle and her family always enjoy walking through the contemporary galleries and seeing it on view.
The Robinos like visiting Lauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, and Hot Shops Art Center, but there is a special place in their hearts for Joslyn. “I think that Joslyn’s collection is remarkable for a city this size and in this geographical location,” said Kyle. “The Museum has many works of art that have traveled with exhibitions all over the country and world. The Rembrandt is a cherished work with a unique story. There is a piece of pottery in the antiquities collection that has a mate at the Louvre in Paris; Joslyn is the only other museum recognized as having a companion piece. These and so many other stories demonstrate what an amazing treasure Joslyn is for our community.”
Kyle loves volunteering for Joslyn and is able to be at the Museum quite often as an event florist. In 2015, Kyle chaired the Museum’s most successful gala to date celebrating Go West: Art of American Frontier from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. She also played an instrumental role in the most recent and successful gala celebrating Sheila Hicks: Material Voices.