Toby Room
Encyclopedia
Toby Room is a quarterly arts publication founded in 2001 and a project of ArtRod
. Toby Room features work by emerging and established artists who are doing engaging work in their field. Frequently, one might find a rock star interviewing a filmmaker or photography collective writing about riding Greyhound Lines
buses. Although Toby Room features contributions from established writers such as fantasy writer Robin Hobb
and NPR
commentator/author Andrei Codrescu
, the majority of those who have written or contributed to Toby Room do not come from a journalist background, but are interested in talking about the things they know, that they might not otherwise have an opportunity to explore or share with the public.
Each issue features an Artist in residence
who is encouraged to develop a theme and project in print. Along with these in-print residencies, Toby Room has featured the work of many artists, often intentionally working outside of their medium. The visuals in Toby Room are at least as important as the articles themselves, and the project has at times abandoned the printed word in favor of exploring a narrative in visuals.
ArtRod
ArtRod is a nonprofit arts organization located in Tacoma, Washington. It was originally founded in 1958 and went through several name changes including Allied Arts and Artists Exchange. The mission of ArtRod is to facilitate art exhibition in nontraditional public arenas...
. Toby Room features work by emerging and established artists who are doing engaging work in their field. Frequently, one might find a rock star interviewing a filmmaker or photography collective writing about riding Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
buses. Although Toby Room features contributions from established writers such as fantasy writer Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb is the second pen name of novelist Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden who produces primarily fantasy fiction, although she has published some science fiction....
and NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
commentator/author Andrei Codrescu
Andrei Codrescu
Andrei Codrescu is a Romanian-born American poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and commentator for National Public Radio. He was Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009....
, the majority of those who have written or contributed to Toby Room do not come from a journalist background, but are interested in talking about the things they know, that they might not otherwise have an opportunity to explore or share with the public.
Each issue features an Artist in residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
who is encouraged to develop a theme and project in print. Along with these in-print residencies, Toby Room has featured the work of many artists, often intentionally working outside of their medium. The visuals in Toby Room are at least as important as the articles themselves, and the project has at times abandoned the printed word in favor of exploring a narrative in visuals.