Robyne Robinson moves on to her next adventure

Five years ago, former Twin Cities broadcaster and arts champion Robyne Robinson was offered a unique opportunity to become arts and culture director at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Now Robinson is embarking on her next adventure: a public-art consulting firm, Five x Five, which includes a design blog of the same name.

Best known around the Twin Cities for her 20-year career with KMSP, Channel 9 — she was the first black woman to anchor a local prime-time newscast — Robinson will continue art consulting for the airport while adding more clients. We caught up with her to talk about her new venture.

Q: Where'd the inspiration come from?

A: "Five x Five" is an idea I wanted to do as a blog when I started as art director at the airport in 2013. I came on and was immediately excited by the atmosphere. I love airports. I love walking through airports, listening to Brian Eno's "Music for Airports." People are always going somewhere. Where are they going?

Working with the architects at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport gave me the idea. We'd go to these conferences and they were full of city administrators, designers, artists, all talking about the future of airports. What is a 21st-century airport going to look like? How will it be shaped around the community?

Q: What is it about art at airports that fascinates you?

That's what this Terminal 1 sculpture we are working with Jen Lewin on is really about [a three-story-high work planned for installation in 2020] — it is about bringing the community to the airport. Zaha Hadid, the architect who passed away in 2017, also was so inspiring for airports.

Q: So will you be leaving your position as MSP's art director?

A: I am transitioning out of the job. There will be a search for a new art director. I will be there until they find the right person. I can't say when, but hopefully soon. I will work with that person to get them into the role, but will also continue working with the airport as a consultant.

Q: What else will you be doing with Five x Five in addition to consulting?

A: Referrals and acquisitions. Lots of talks. I am currently working with Chris Mars, formerly of the Replacements. He is a master artist, just a brilliant artist. He's had the opportunity to show his art all over the world. Because we're small, that's about it. We're just getting the word out to the architecture industry.

A: Art Park is right now in the talking stages. It is a milelong stretch of land between Terminal 1 and the Intercontinental Hotel that is open to travelers and the public. We want to conceive a park that embraces the Minnesota landscape, and also provide art at MSP. People at Intercontinental can use it for weddings and receptions. But it will also be a meditative space. It's still in the planning stages.

We'll also be working on the Silver Ramp [a new 5,000-space parking ramp planned for Terminal 1]. GoodSpace Murals, which is Greta McLain and Candida Gonzalez, were just selected to do mosaics for the Silver Ramp restrooms. We are going to be doing a new facade on that ramp as well. I'm so glad the architects want art in that space.

Q: Is Five x Five just you?

A: I have a part-time assistant. I just started this in January. I think this is an accumulation of working in the arts and on television. I don't want to say "scary" — it's exhilarating. It's really just exciting. It's all so new for me, but it's not.

Q: What does the name mean?