established in 2016

In the fall semester of 2010, a freshman in NC A&T’s Art Program was advised by one of his mentors to “find something worth talking about through [his] art”. Since then, that starry-eyed freshman began envisioning his personal, and professional, life making a living in the arts that helped other people’s lives in some way. As this freshman worked through the assignments and produced work, he also was involved in putting on exhibitions for the students of the program and eventually planned and produced exhibitions on his own. Taking the director’s advice, this student looked for graduate programs for Arts Administration to better put on exhibitions. Before graduating, he later got accepted into SCAD’s graduate program.

In March 2015, this student began the year-long intensive study of Art Administration and what that meant, in Atlanta. There, he learned the foundations of marketing, fundraising, financial reporting, legal topics in the Arts, and best business practices. He also learned the techniques to articulating his vision and refine it to a clear mission for the brand he wanted. Although he is still developing the brand, he created a temporary name to enact his mission and vision of using Art & Design to better life and community. For his final project to complete his studies and earn his Master’s degree, this student planned an exhibition and livestream production featuring an artist, whose work he thought was relevant to contemporary times.

That student was Jordan T. Robinson, who launched his brand, JTR Presents. The brand was established in August, 2016 with the production, “In Conversation with Joshua Rashaad McFadden” as the first professional level project the brand had accomplished. Within the first year of its establishment, the brand had done its first project with its first client. A charter school in Harrisburg, NC, wanted to turn their unused parking lot into an black-top playground. Through Graphic, and interactive, design, the Black-top playground was designed and created, which then used its profits to fund an exhibition titled "_______hood" (Pronounced Blankhood), to feature and promote five emerging artists with art relevant to contemporary issues and topics. Jordan, now a creative professional and social entrepreneur, seeks opportunities to help the community and provide a form of support for upcoming artists entering into the creative industries.

The story continues to this day...and we are looking for more authors to write it.