You may know
ROBYN NEMES
b did you know... BY MANDY HAYNES • PHOTOS BY CHRISTY LE LAIT
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f you live on Amelia Island, you may know Robyn Nemes as a textile artist. Her fabric brooches inspired by the Japanese art of Kanzashi, are sold at Story and Song Bookstore Bistro, and they can be spotted on lapels and scarves all over the island. But do you know the story behind these pieces? Robyn made her first brooches as thank-you gifts for her wedding. Sadly, a month later, her sister succumbed to cancer. Robyn created a memorial pin from her sister’s favorite bathrobe and wore it all the time. People began to bring special fabrics for her to make pins for them. “I still create memorial pins, but now I create pins from fabrics I love,” says Robyn. You may know Robyn as the ukulele coordinator for the youth ukulele group that’s part of the Fernandina Ukulele Network (FUN). “While it is fun to play and sing songs, it’s a great opportunity for kids to learn how their voices matter,” Robyn explains. Did you know she started a ukulele giveaway program? To be eligible, a child or teen is asked to write a letter that explains who they are and why they want to learn to play. “One of our free ukuleles was sent to a teen in the Philippines! She came across a social media post about the give-away program!” Robyn says with a laugh. The young lady plans to pay it forward and find a way to get ukuleles into the hands of other teens around the world. She calls her dream the Global Love Project.
Do you know Robyn teaches elementary-age children to play the mountain dulcimer? Through afterschool classes sponsored by Arts Alive, a non-profit arts enrichment program in Nassau County, children learn the skills needed to play the dulcimer, but they also learn much more. Leadership opportunities for these children extend beyond the community program at the end of the school year. Students continued on next page
39 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020
www.AmeliaIslander.com
