.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} When it comes to art, Robyn Olson is a “jack-of-all-trades.” She helps individuals and businesses find art for their homes and workplaces, she paints and draws, and even her home is a gallery. Olson has a degree in fine arts and French from Morningside College and has since taken several more art classes. She taught art for 17 years and was a docent at the Des Moines Art Center before joining the Kenneth Paul Gallery for 11 years. Olson eventually left that job and two years ago started her own consulting and design business, Off the Wall, working with clients including Peoples Trust & Savings Bank and DeWaay Capital Management.

How did you get involved with the Art Center?

Around 1990, I decided to go through the docent program. I had taught art for 17 years and I was looking to learn about the other side of art related to more visuals and what makes a place attractive and aesthetic. I had taken a lot of art history through college, but not a lot was about modern, contemporary, abstract art. I also was going to Drake University to get my master’s degree in fine arts, which was discontinued, so I never finished and instead did internships. I taught two elementary classes there as well.

How did you come up with the name for your business?

Modern art is about breaking boundaries. It’s about reflecting culture. There are all sorts of parallels you can draw with rap music to graffiti art, installations or concept art with jazz and blues. Off the Wall reflects what is a major thing that has happened in the last half of the 20th century in modern art, where people are asking, ‘What is a painting? Does a painting have to be mounted on the wall?”

What kind of work do you primarily do now?

I call myself an art consultant first and foremost, but I help people with art selection, art framing, art installation, and in many cases, I can do appraisals for them. Every situation is unique depending on what kind of budget people have, who is making the selection and whatever extent they want to do art or not.

What led you to leave the Kenneth Paul Gallery?

I love the freedom to travel with my husband, Russ; he’s the CEO of Liberty Bank. I needed to be independent, and plus I realize what I have to offer people, I can do it on my own.

What’s a philosophy you live by?

I started going down to David Dahlquist’s pottery studio for a Wednesday morning ceramics class. One thing I did after 9/11 was this piece that said, “Stamp out xenophobia.” It relates to culture and how some people in the Midwest can be insular and afraid of what’s different and not so open to change as maybe they are in other parts of the world where they have to put up with all different cultures and races.

What kind of art do you do?

I really focus on portraiture. In the past, I often painted big pieces. In recent years, I have moved out of color and into black and white, which is interesting because in my consulting, I’m always working in color.

What was one of your most interesting projects?

I had such a great working relationship with Nancy Knapp. She was having two showers, so I helped rearrange things in her house. She and her husband have quite a collection of art, so in the hallway I hung 35 pieces of art of all different sizes. She had worked with an interior designer and was looking for some objects to put around. That went on for several months.

Is there an artist who inspires you most?

I would say more there is a teacher that really inspired me, which was Gaylord Torrence at Drake. I think he inspired me to break out of my boundaries artistically and also with educating the public about art. He was inspirational in enlarging my world in what is art. It can be decorative or functional.

What do you like to do for fun?