You’ve seen their work published on Thursdays in Our Town Arts under the tag line Christopher Robin as either a painting or photograph. You may have visited their studio gallery, Christopher Robin Arts, at 418 S. Gay Street located in the historic Phoenix building. That is where they work and visit with guests Thursdays through Saturday.
But who are Chris and Robin Rohwer?
During training to be a pharmacist, Robin met Chris on a blind date in Memphis, moved to Knoxville and their journey began. Both having left their traditional careers in banking and pharmacy, they are now business partners, each complementing the other, coming to their respective crafts with a lot of hard work and talent.
Robin says the name Christopher Robin Arts has nothing to do with Winnie the Pooh, but instead, she says, “Our mothers named our business.” That dispels the myth of connection to good ole Winnie that we all took for granted.
Robin began painting, taking classes in Fountain City, and she loves to paint outside, en plein air, which is on location. She says, “It’s challenging, but adds a breath of freshness to my work.”
Chris picked up a camera again about 2012 and some 100,000-plus images later the camera still calls him out regularly to travel and photograph beautiful landscapes and animals.
Together, they have visited five continents. Robin says, “Travel opens your eyes to so many things and you come to realize that we are all more alike than different with regard to other cultures and religions.” Asking Robin about her favorite trip or piece of art she’s created will elicit the response, “It’s always the next one!”
I have been privileged to know this remarkable couple for decades but only recently became aware of their incredible artistic talents, because I have known them through their generous, outgoing, volunteer spirit shared both with the local community and the one at large.
My husband, Charlie, became close friends with Robin and daughter Kelsey on a mission trip taken to support a remote village in Belize, Central America. This was one of the 5 or 6 mission trips Robin, Chris and other daughter Lauren have taken providing support to the community there. Robin and Chris can always be found in the heartbeat of every community endeavor, providing supplies, encouragement and labor to complete the cause.
As I look back at some of Robin’s paintings, I see the personality I have seen in physical action. Art is a reflection of the artist’s inner world and it’s through their creative expression that their character shows up in their work. Robin paints Tea Cup and a viewer can see the Robin who texts to find a GriefShare group for a lonely widow. Robin paints Magical and the viewer can see the Robin who spends a week in Belize on a mission trip helping others know the love of her Savior. Robin paints Window Seat and the viewer can see a Robin who brings a shy person on a lunch trip with a group of strangers so she will feel comfortable. Robin says their work “is quirky.” I think her work shows us who she is because she follows the true gift of giving without expectation of receiving.
Chris is a self-described landscape photographer, although he loves to photograph animals and recently went on a to the Himalayas of Ladakh in northern India, looking to photograph the elusive snow leopard. Stay tuned to Knox TN Today on Thursdays to see the results. To know his character by the artist, look to his work Iconic Cabin as he writes, “my personal challenge is to photograph the same thing everyone else does – differently.” I see this in the Chris who serves his community and always thinks differently and outside the box for solutions that more often than not are the best ones. Looking at the That’s bazaar, I see the Chris who is regarded for advice and has an unescapable humor in confounding situations. Seeing Chris with a camera is seeing the one who is always ready to document occasions for every important event in the community to maintain the history and heart of that community.
As previous articles from KnoxTNToday have mentioned, Shannon Carey here, and Sandra Clark here, the Rohwers are each other’s biggest fan, getting inspiration from the other for each’s respective artistic craft. They have two adult daughters and two grandsons on the way to cheer them on through life as well.
You can find Chris and Robin and their work on Instagram, Facebook, and their website. You might leave with some great art, but if you get to know them, you will definitely receive a blessing beyond value.
All of us have a story and I want to tell yours! Send them to susan@knoxtntoday.com