Mari Robles. Photography by Erik Peterson.
Educator, organizer, and leader Mari Robles joined Headlands Center for the Arts at the end of 2020—during a moment that demanded new modes of thinking about art and institutions. Headlands was no exception; it is a multidisciplinary arts campus that is people- and ideas-first. Known for its unique artist residency programs and community-focused programming, Headlands champions art as an essential generator of questions, connection, and social change.
Robles took up her position following her role as educator-in-charge of public programs and engagement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as positions at the Pérez Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. As Headlands prepares for its June 2 Benefit Art Auction 2021, we caught up with Robles to hear more about what’s in the auction, the programs it fundraises for, and what it means to prioritize creativity and participation in an arts environment.
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PHILLIPS: So you’re new to the Bay Area and to Headlands. What has been a most welcome surprise in making the transition?
MARI ROBLES: As I get settled here and get to know the community of supporters of Headlands—and really the Bay Area arts ecosystem overall—I feel that the questions that are being asked in the field right now are crucial. It’s the beginning of something new, and I’m excited to bring that to the Bay Area. That was certainly a surprise because there are these shifts across many organizations here, and I’m part of a new wave of leadership thinking deeply about equity and the arts.
I’m also excited because I've never lived in a place with such an amazing landscape. And this landscape informs the way that people in this beautiful way that I'm still getting to know.
P: Being part of an organization with social justice front-of-mind and being social justice-oriented yourself, do you also feel like you're serving as a model for institutions that maybe don't have that same infrastructure?
MR: At Headlands, conversations about diversity, justice, equity, and access have been happening for some time now, particularly at the staff level. And now we're bringing the rest of the community on board. It’s that act of positioning yourself and saying I'm committed to changing the field, I'm committed to changing structural inequities, while also focusing on the role of artists and society. It can be uncomfortable at times and important to think about what Headlands looks like for the next generations. We’re in the middle of doing long-term thinking around what 20, 30 years out will look like. We're working on skill-building across the board, so everyone feels like they can navigate this moment and future moments as we continue.
Wall Space, a 2017 Headlands commission by Chris Kabel, featuring text by Trey Amos, curated by Chinaka Hodge, a Headlands Center for the Arts Artist in Residence in 2012. Photography by Tom Ide.
P: You've worked at institutions like The Met, the Pérez Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. How does working for Headlands contrast with those experiences?
MR: As you say, I've been working mostly in museums. And, for a long time, I was committed to thinking about the interpretation of collections and making sure people felt welcome in gallery spaces. So coming to Headlands has been a shift in that what Headlands champions relationships: relationships with artists and a relationship to creativity—this larger idea that we all are creative. People, and specifically artists, feel passionate about Headlands because they have been supported here with time, space, meals, resources—all the things that help their practice thrive. That commitment is something I’m really excited about.
P: Could you tell me about more about the residency project? And looking forward, what you're hoping this next year and the Headlands legacy will look like?
MR: Headlands' Artist in Residence program is well-respected and has a great reputation amongst cultural practitioners. I'm interested in bringing public programs and public engagement at Headlands to the same level and inviting the public into experiences that currently happen behind closed doors. This could look many ways, but I've been thinking a lot about an annual convening which could offer Headlands alumni and the public a chance to gather on our campus.
Overall, we've already made the move towards two new fellowship opportunities I'm excited about: Bay Area Fellowships and the Threshold Fellowship. Both opportunities support the Bay's phenomenal arts community and centers artist in a global context that is future-forward.
I still believe, like I did in those early days, that a connection to art, once you build it, can open you up to worlds of possibilities.
P: The art world can look very insular, and it’s exciting to think of art as a meeting ground and a point of discussion.
MR: That’s what Headlands offers, a place to process, think, plan and plot. During this moment where so many big questions are being posed, I believe the role of artists, and the role of creativity is more important. Human creativity has always gotten us through.
P: Absolutely—and I wondered if you could speak a little bit more about the auction and any works that you're excited about, or are very relevant for this moment?
MR: On June 2nd, we host our largest event of the year—our 2021 Benefit Art Auction. It includes a performance by Bay Area choreographers, Fog Beast, a live auction, and the launch of our silent online auction—which closes June 16. We have just over 80 works that we’re auctioning off. Some big Headlands alumni including Lenka Clayton, Erica Deeman, Layla Ali, and Barry McGee. And many other great works by Nari Ward, Catherine Wagner, Ruth Asawa, and more.
Headlands Center for the Arts. Photography by Andria Lo.
P: You first got into the arts by way of an art teacher. How has your thinking about the art world—and your role in it—changed from that introduction and to now organizing these public programs?
MR: I’ve been reflecting on that early experience quite a bit recently. A big part of what that experience as a young person gave me was an invitation to participate and an opening of career possibilities. And without that invitation, I don’t know if I would have felt knowledgeable enough to navigate the art world. It gave me a sense of the possibilities. It allowed me to make an informed decision: the studio space is not where I shine. But the idea of cultural spaces where people feel like they can participate—and make connections between objects and people—that space is where I shine.
I still believe, like I did in those early days, that a connection to art, once you build it, can open you up to worlds of possibilities.
P: A couple of words have come up a lot as you’ve been speaking: creation and participation. It feels like a very circular way of looking at an arts experience.
MR: I think a lot about reciprocity. When you participate in the arts there's the potential that you give something of yourself, and the arts give something to you in return. I'm interested in setting up our institutions, our exhibitions, our programs in a way that people—all people—feel that they can take up that offer and see that relationship reach its full potential.
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