ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – For more than 40 years, the South Carolina Arts Alliance (SCAA) has diligently worked to advance the arts for all residents through advocacy, leadership development and public awareness.
Now, a Winthrop University alumnus will help lead that charge.
The alliance recently appointed Jeff Robinson ’14, ’20 its new executive director, only the fourth person to hold the title in the alliance’s history.
‘Winthrop is and always will be about the personal connections for me’
After earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from Winthrop in 2014, Robinson worked as band director in his hometown at York Middle School and assistant director at York Comprehensive High School. In 2021, he took on a role in outreach at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, in which he and colleagues provided free resources and art education experiences to teachers and students across the state.
“I have always been -- and still remain -- dedicated to arts education, so I jumped at the opportunity,” he said. “One of the highlights of my career has been watching our reach grow from about 38,000 individuals in 33 counties…to over 160,000 in 42 counties in 2022-23.”
Robinson knew he wanted to expand that reach even beyond the classroom. He chose Winthrop’s Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA) program specifically because it is well-designed for working professionals.
“I really wanted...the opportunity to build those personal connections,” he said. “I also had several close personal friends who had gone through the program. I was living in York County at the time, and had done my undergraduate degree at Winthrop, so it seemed like a no-brainer….Winthrop is and always will be about the personal connections for me.”
‘Thrilled to live out that passion and continue to advocate for the arts’
Robinson credits Winthrop’s MAAA program with pointing him toward this direction; specifically, how the program brings in professionals from across the arts sector as contributors for each course.
“As a student, I was able to connect directly with current leaders in the field,” Robinson explained. “The opportunity to build that professional network while working on a degree has contributed immensely to my professional journey post-degree. Ultimately, you meet all of these people -- professors, peers, professionals in the field -- who become invested in, and stay invested in, your success. I owe so much of my own professional journey to that.”
In fact, Robinson first interacted with the alliance as a student when he had the chance to serve as team captain for the 2019 Arts Advocacy Day at the State House. He also was selected as the inaugural Graduate Fellow for the Arts Alliance in 2020, an opportunity only offered to students enrolled in an arts administration/arts management program in the state, which showed him the “inner workings of art policy” at the state and federal levels, taught him about grassroots advocacy and helped grow his professional network beyond the arts.
“My experiences in the MAAA program set me up for leadership by connecting me with people who were already doing the work and helping me build the skills that I will need as an executive director,” Robinson said. “Three years later, I'm thrilled to be able to live out that passion and continue to advocate for the arts in our state with the South Carolina Arts Alliance.”
For more information on the MAAA program, visit the website or e-mail Robert Wildman, program director, at wildmanr@winthrop.edu.
