Rocheport couple collect, create artworks

George, the resident blacksmith, says his favorite part of running the store is being with his wife, Christina.   ¦  Kathleen Buhrmann

Eight years ago, Christina Reisberg Robb, and her husband, George Robb II, established Art & Antiques/Blacksmith Shop in Rocheport. The couple set out with the idea of pursuing their joint interest in art by collecting works and creating an outlet for their individual passions for blacksmithing and mixed media.

In addition to their own work, their collection has grown to include estate jewelry, antique linens, Oriental carpets, Victorian furniture, tintype photographs and sterling silver accessories. George is the resident blacksmith and sells custom pieces that include candlesticks, coffee tables and chairs. Christina crafts mosaics, lampshades and drawings inspired by the surrounding landscape. The couple’s work figures prominently in the evolving displays inside the pre-Civil War Hill House that they have converted into a gallery.

The Robbs celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last year by working at their shop. The couple met in 1964 at Central Methodist College in Fayette after George paid a fellow student $5 to trade seats with him at a Wednesday service so he could sit by Christina.

“I think we just love what we do, so we worked,” Christina said.