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ROBINSON FINE ARTS CENTER
Last summer, the Plano ISD board of trustees voted to name the district’s fine arts ROBINSON of the arts disciplines, will carry their name.” The Robinson Fine Arts would become the catalyst for much of Plano’s rapid growth over the ensuing decades. facility after Dr. George Center at 1800 Alma Drive In addition to his engi“Robbie” S. Robinson Jr. and his wife, Lynore. To those involved in the local arts community, the news came as no surprise. The couple spent many years advocating for the arts.FINE ARTS is set to open later this year. The 82,000-square-foot-facility was designed to showcase music, dance, theater and visualarts acrosstwo floors. The Robinson family moved neering duties, Robinson was involved in negotiations to bring companies like Frito-Lay and JCPenney to Legacy. He would eventually manage the Electronic Data Systems Corporation board "The Robinsons have been a to Plano in 1981 after Rob- of directors as well before major force in support of the inson completed 20 years of retiring in 1999.The Robinarts in the Plano community, service as a naval officer in sons were very involved in and a venue such as this one the Civil Engineer Corps. He the community, donating fihas been a dream they shared came to work for Ross Perot’s nancially to cancer research with the district,” Plano ISD Electronic Data Systems Cor- after their daughter, Anthea, Fine Arts Director Kathy poration and was tasked with died of the disease when she Kuddes said. “It is fitting that planning and developing the was only 14. Robinson was this building, dedicated to all Legacy mixed-use project. It the founding chairman of the
Plano Economic Development board and former vice-chairman of the Plano Chamber of Commerce. In April 1999, Plano proclaimed Robbie Robinson Day. The following year, he was named the chamber’s Citizen of the Year.
The arts always held a special place in the Robinsons' hearts. They were longtime supporters of the Plano Symphony Orchestra and served as board members and ambassadors. For years, they were passionate about building a local fine arts facility. Robinson pushed hard for a proposed Collin County arts center that never came to fruition. When those plans fell through, Plano ISD officials met with the Robinsons and others in the arts community to see how the district could fill the void.
“I used to joke that every time I would call on Robbie, I always felt like his assistant because when I left, it seemed like I always had a list of things that I needed to do,” said Jamee Jolly, senior executive director at Plano ISDEducation Foundation. “He just always had all these ideas and needed someone to help execute.”
The Robinsons' contribution to the Plano ISD fine arts center goes beyond their name.Robbie earmarked $500,000 to start an endowment for the facility. Those funds will go toward operating costs, ensuring that students will have a first-class place dedicated to the arts for years to come. Robinson died in October 2020, nearly two years after Lynore.Jolly said that when the center opens, a plaque of the couple will be on display.“[Robbie] worked tirelessly on making sure that there was a proper facility,”she said.
“As I walk through the building with his name on it, as it’s under construction, and I see how it’s going to be utilized by our students and our community, it really speaks to what he wanted and what he envisioned for our community.”P
