Robyn Albeke was born in Louisiana, spent her first three years living in Germany before moving back to her mother’s hometown, Augusta, Georgia. Robyn graduated from Davidson Fine Arts High School and then moved to Athens to attend the University of Georgia to continue her study in fine arts. Through college Robyn worked in retail, working at the mall and at shops downtown. After college, she worked in medical billing before taking a job she would hold for a decade at the Dwayne Allen Studio photography studio.
After going through a divorce, Robyn transitioned back to medical billing. While working for Piedmont Hospital she worked on a fundraiser wherein she reached out to One Direction member Louis Tomlinson’s team, to see if they would donate a couple of tickets to his show for the fundraiser (he donated four free tickets with a VIP backstage meet and greet!) and the process inspired her to get back into the artistic world. She was moved by the fact that Tomlinson invited so many unknown/new musicians to open for him. In the weeks following, she dreamed up the idea of a website where people from multiple genres, with multiple skill levels, could share their art and Waxing Phoenix was born. Waxing Phoenix invites visual artists, musicians, spoken word and even dancers to showcase (and sell) their work in an online gallery.
Robyn just moved from Athens to downtown Comer where she lives with daughter, Piper, a high school junior, cat, Meow, and parakeet, Jingles.
What do you love most about the work you do?
Connecting with the artists, it’s been absolutely incredible. We have artists from around the world. So far, I’ve had artists from the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, and then of course all over the US.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do in and around Athens?
Since I’m working two jobs right now, I don’t get a lot of free time. But when I do, now that my daughter is older, she is getting to the stage where she’s a little bit fascinated with downtown. Usually, if we’re coming into Athens, we’re headed downtown. I’m quite familiar with every inch of Urban Outfitters and we’ve been to a few of the restaurants, although so many of the old places are gone, places that I used to know, so really, for me it’s been a rediscovering of downtown Athens. And here in Comer Maggie’s Cafe is absolutely fabulous, with great prices; we grab dinner there quite a bit. There is a distillery out here that I have yet to visit, but they just started doing an open mic night, so I really need to walk down there.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
I still want to head to the UK. It’s just something about the culture there. They just seem so much more wrapped up in the arts, much more appreciative of it. Plus, I just absolutely love the architecture, I have always been into architecture and with all of my art classes…I’d definitely head to the UK to check it all out.
If you could see any band or musician, anywhere, who would it be and where?
This one is actually going to seem odd because most folks only know him as an actor, but River Phoenix. Back in my college days, he was touring with his band, and they had ties to REM and came through Athens. I was big into the local music scene back then and I ended up meeting him and spending quite a bit of time hanging out with him. So, that’s one person I would really love to see play again.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
To learn to let go, to not try to control so much. So much is out of your control and getting upset about it is not going to do anyone much good. So I’d probably just say to chill out just a little.
Do you have a favorite book or book that you find yourself rereading or referencing or gifting?
I do. It actually was my first, we called it, “big girl book.” My mom was a huge reader, and she gave it to me. It’s actually two books in one by Betty Smith. The first portion of it is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and the second half is Maggie Now. It’s one of my absolute favorites.
Do you have a favorite movie?
Yes, it’s Practical Magic.
If you could put any message on a billboard, what would it be?
Support the Arts. It doesn’t always have to be monetary with so many people on social media just following their accounts, giving them a boost on their social media. If it’s in gallery, showing up to their gallery openings. There are just so many ways to support the arts and it is so needed, I think people. Kind of take for granted how much the arts are involved in our everyday life.
If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where?
That would be with my mom, she passed in November 2022, and we would go back in time to the Flamingo Room. It was so fun and there’s really nothing else like it.
What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word home?
Comfort. Security. Family.
