"Giving Angel Needs a Miracle"
Nomination by: Barbara Rodgers 2009
Former Anchor/Reporter, CBS News, San Francisco
"I can’t think of a business owner and a business more deserving of a Shine A Light award than my good friend, Darrell F. Robinson, and his Linen Life Gallery. Linen Life is located in downtown San Leandro California, but it had earlier incarnations in Emeryville, California, where it was a Mecca for artists, designers, photographers, community groups and individuals....He is such a deserving person who is a true angel, gentleman and giving spirit who needs this opportunity to let his light shine even more brightly for so many more people."
About Darrell and Linen Life:
Linen Life moved to its new location in 2009 --a former banking establishment that Darrell has since transformed with his hard work and creativity into a space that brings much needed beauty and culture to the downtown San Leandro area.
An Artistic Space...a Spiritual Place is Darrell’s description of the outstanding gallery he has created. It offers the community a place to assemble and hold events, often at no charge for non-profit groups and causes.
With dedication to his dream and determination Darrell found the new space in San Leandro and transformed it by working full days as a property manager in order to fund the building renovation. He had lined up two investors to help him finish the process, but when the economy tanked, those two investors backed out. But with the assistance of Enterprise Design, Little Elephant Architecture and McNely Construction, the design/build continued and Linen Life received occupancy January 2011. Now Darrell needs new partners with One Hundred Thousand Dollars to finish the interior of the new space so that he can once again provide the Bay Area with the beautiful and inspiring place he envisions for all forms of artwork, art professionals, private individuals and community based organizations.
Right now, there are clients lining up to book the space "as is" but the space will be so much more beautiful after the up grades. Darrell is philanthropic with the gallery so that artists and community based organizations with limited or no budgets can use the space to blossom, thereby gaining exposure for their work and causes.
This is a person who believes that the importance of the cause outweighs the profit from the event.
Events promoting health awareness, education, children’s issues, music and community gatherings have all found a home at the Linen Life Gallery in the past and over 20 new community events have been held there in 2011.
The Shine A Light nomination, featured article in East Bay Business times along with awards from the County of Alameda and State of California will give Darrell the exposure he needs to continue his great work in the community and to become another successful, contributing small business.
Each week Darrell hosts two "open house" community events...
Every Wednesday, 6PM to 10 PM, the "Linen Life Art & Business Salon." Artists and business people are invited to meet, share their projects and get support for them from each other.
Every Sunday Evening, 6PM to 10 PM, the "Linen Life Candlelight Cafe Jazz."
Gallery Tours, Open Mic, Spoken Word and Jazz performances directed by host William "Bill" Norwood features Bay Area musicians, new and established recording artist, actors and poets.
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