Designer, Builder, Curator & Storyteller.
Robert built this house to live in.
When it came time for Robert to build a house for his family, he wanted to do it right. So, he found an architect, sold everything lock, stock and barrel, moved out to Grey County and built SolarQ in Singhampton.
This was Robert’s first time building a house, and was honoured to be featured in the Globe & Mail, Style Advisor, Maclean’s, BlogTO, Toronto Life, Mansion Global and Rrampt Magazine.
Journalism
Robert believes that Life is Motion, and has a profound connection to cars and motorcycles. He vectors his automotive passions into stream of consciousness “Psychomotive” writing and photography for local publications such as Rrampt Magazine, Hello Country Magazine, Support Local Magazine, The South Grey News, and The Dundalk Herald / Flesherton Advance.
“Museum Rob”
Sharing History & Uniting a Community
While building his house, Robert volunteered at South Grey Museum in beautiful Grey Highlands, Ontario, where he was the youngest member of the Museum Board by 42 years. Soon after, he became Community Heritage Curator, and the rest is History.
The local kids began calling him Museum Rob, mostly because it was tricky to pronounce “Iantorno”.
Robert was honoured to teach kids history, interview seniors, play guitar at celebrations and put on community events and celebrate the Community.
Virtual Familiarization Sessions for Newcomers
Sharing the beauty & Promise of Bruce County
Originating with a proposal in June 2021, this project was intended to provide online live streamed “Virtual Bus Tours” to places in Bruce County, with the intended audience being clients of Newcomer Centre of Peel, and objectives aligning with the Rural Employment Initiative.
NCP and Robert had worked together previously through collaborations with Grey County Economic Development, Grey Highlands Economic Development, and South Grey Museum in order to deliver in person programming, and then with the onset of COVID, to deliver live streamed programming including virtual walking tours of rural towns, places and exhibits with success and high rates of engagement among the Newcomer audience.
Building upon these previous successes...
The Big Idea was to welcome Newcomer audiences to the Idea of Bruce County.
To place Bruce County in the Hearts and Minds as a possible place to visit, explore, and perhaps even settle. Moreover, to introduce them to the geography, the lifestyles, the communities, employment and real estate markets, amenities, character, culture, challenges and opportunities in a thoughtful, approachable, authentic and above all truthful manner.
The Guiding Principles of “Not all those who wander are lost.” and “We are Team Canada” were shared with the audience in each session, reminding everyone to feel welcome to explore Bruce County and the idea of a life in rural Ontario, and that We are all part of a country in which people are free to seek a good life for themselves and their families.
About Robert
Robert Edward Iantorno consults on communications, advertising, design and operational projects for local publications, businesses and government. He has extensive experience in consultation, industrial design, building, curation and storytelling. His work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, Mansion Global, BlogTO, Toronto Life, and beyond. He is a contributing writer to publications such as Rrampt Magazine, the Grey Highlands Advance, Support Local Magazine and South Grey News.
Robert is curious; always has been. Raised mostly by his Nonna Maria and Nonno Bruno on the shores of Black Creek in Toronto, he grew up in the family HVAC business and learned the value of kindness and hard work. Robert earned his HBA in History and Languages at U of T, taking over his first business at 21 and filing his first patent at 23. Robert went on to design products and manage companies in the commercial construction and manufacturing space, always with the ethos of service, quality of product and responsible Canadian industry.
After moving to Grey County, he serendipitously became “Museum Rob” and the rest is History. Robert is a youth mentor and Seniors advocate in the Community of Grey Highlands, and has also had the pleasure of apprenticing as a classic Ferrari mechanic.
Robert lives with his lovely wife and dogs in a net zero steel shell house that he built. He is constantly exploring, cooking and tinkering, and likes the sounds and smells of his Triumph motorcycle and old Alfa Romeo.