Daily Inspiration: Meet Roberta Hancock

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roberta Hancock.

Hi Roberta, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Ohio and grew up in Phoenix starting in 1960. My dad was a surgeon and opened his private practice here. My mother was a nurse and after my father’s early death, she worked at St. Joseph’s as a surgical nurse. I attended local public schools, graduating from Central High School, where my aptitude as an artist became clear. I attended Phoenix College and ASU briefly but did not graduate from either with degrees. I started my short, but important, retail career working at the local art stores: Meier’s Art Supply and Arizona Art Supply when Amos Elquist (of Elquist’s Art) was still the owner. Interestingly, Flax Art Supply, who bought out Meier’s during the time I tenured at AZ Art, would later become one of my graphic design company’s top clients.
I received what one could consider to be the equivalent of a master’s degree in art materials while I worked at those stores over the next almost 10 years. I learned everything about papers & boards, paints, inks, all drawing materials and surface preparatory agents. Every tool an artist could use, I became an expert in. The other benefit to my work there, was I met ALL the artists and designers and became friends with so many. I later patterned my career steps after a few of the successful ones I came to know.
I am primarily self-taught as a visual artist. After leaving the retail world, I first worked as a calligrapher and a freelance production artist for graphic design firms and ad agencies. I opened my own design firm, Moonlight Designs, which I ran as a small, up-to-five-person operation for 10 years until my first child was born. The industry was changing over from hand drawn work to computers at the time (1990’s), and I had to choose whether I loved the graphic design industry enough to invest the tens of thousands of dollars necessary to continue being competitive in that industry. I did not.
I took that opportunity to move from graphic design to illustration with the help of a dear friend and business colleague, starting her own artist representation business. I worked successfully with Atelier Kimberley Boege for over 15 years as an illustrator specializing in editorial style illustrations for magazines around the globe. Illustrating allowed me to do two things: embrace more artistic license in my paintings and drawings while cultivating skill and experience as an artist, and it allowed me to be a stay-at-home-parent to care for our two children during early childhood.
As our children grew, I created and exhibited more of my and other artists’ fine art around the Valley. I was a member of Moviemento Artistico Del Rio Salado (MARS) Artspace (1994-2001) when I became more active as a board member for them and several other artist organizations in Phoenix. Passionate about economic development and career mentorship opportunities for artists, I became a highly active arts advocate. I created the Phoenix Arts District Community Development Corporation (PhAD, CDC), a nonprofit economic development stimulator and land-grant holding organization for artist live/workspaces. Its demise came early as human nature is often petty and corrupt, and the development community opposed the concept of rent control. Twenty-five years later, it is still a concept ahead of its time in Phoenix.
I was the Artistic Director for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Phoenix annual fundraiser, Martinis and Masterpieces, which I helped concept and market for 6 years, the Chair of the Phoenix Sister Cities International Young Artist Program for 5 years, the Chair of the Phoenix Center for Contemporary Art (formerly Studio LoDo) for 2 years, a founding member of the Valley Metro Regional Light Rail Art Committee for 18 years and a commissioner for the City of Phoenix Central Village Planning Committee and the Governor’s 9-11 Memorial project for the State of Arizona. I served as a board member for the Cathedral Center for the Arts and an advisory board member for Release the Fear.
As I continued to work as a fine artist, I worked as the gallerist and curator for several community-based galleries: The Gold Spot Gallery, now the home of Pita Jungle on Roosevelt and the Olney Gallery of Trinity Cathedral collectively for about a decade. It was during one of these artist receptions, that one of my exhibiting artists referred to me as a “hurricane in a box” – big energy in action, controlling a million details while selling to the audience on behalf of the artists showing. It stuck as an inside joke and a then, little used, email address. Little did I realize almost twenty years later; it would become the best moniker for my talents and creative pursuits.
In 2014, just before our 25th wedding anniversary, my husband was diagnosed with a 7cm brain tumor (think tennis ball) and our lives were irrevocably changed. Traumatic brain injuries and events take significant time to heal. Byron is a living miracle – he had zero physiological handicaps or impediments as result of the tumor. Thanks to his amazing surgeon, he has an awesome but barely visible scar following his hairline as our gentle physical reminder. There are still non-physical changes, and it has taken ten years with patience and therapy for us to return to a place in our lives where I can comfortably reemerge with my art.
They say in life, when one door closes, another opens. For many artists, an experience like that gives immense inspiration and an opportunity to heal through art. I found making art much too painful and raw for me in the early recovery journey, so I pivoted my energy to managing events: everything from small meetings to conferences. I had hosted hundreds of receptions at this point, and I have always had strong organizational acumen, so that part of conducting social events fit seamlessly into my business toolkit and my emotional needs at the time. Being an event host also fit tightly into my love of hospitality and making sure that others were seen, cared for and respected.
So, we arrive here today. I am back to running events and creating art. In my artwork, I am studying new techniques in printmaking but continuing traditional methods in oils, pastels and mixed media as well as navigating the digital field with iPad art. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is posing challenges through the debate of its use, and I have not figured out exactly where I am with it at this time. I like doing my own work and have never asked anyone’s opinion about what to create, so I am not a huge fan of using it in my fine art. I like producing my own ideas and working out how to compose them. For graphic design and illustration, however, it is a game changer, and I am certainly glad I don’t have to compete against it for work!
On the events side, I decided to start my own business managing corporate events with small, niche industries and organizations that are making the world a better place. I decided to incorporate as Hurricane In A Box LLC a little over a year ago. I had thought it would originally only manage events, but I did secure related domains at the time I purchased the .events domain, so I have the .art website in the works and it will be ready for release by the end of June.
At this stage of my life, I am not interested in Pinterest moments, so I do not do weddings or specialty parties. Galas are literally on the edge of what I am willing work on. Don’t get me wrong, I am very good at what I do and any event I work on will be fabulous, it’s just that I want my energy and the energy of my clients to go to what really matters beyond the surface, when you scratch away the veneer and and see the depth of what you can truly accomplish and create. I want to help make big shifts in the community by helping experts share best practices and resolve issues toward success for all. I am interested in effective collaboration while ensuring each client’s basic human needs are cared for and seen.
Hurricane In A Box LLC now serves as the business umbrella for my create endeavors: the events management side that feeds my social advocacy and inner organizational nerd, and the artistic and creative part of my life. Ultimately, I foresee adding other artists to that mix down the road.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacles I have encountered are these:
• Mediocrity
• Sexism
• Racism
• Ageism
I could spend so much time agonizing over the details of how each of these human failings have affected my life and my work, and even though they are absolutely real and present for most everyone, they just are not worth gracing with energy. Every person faces hardships and personal demons. I am blessed with a rebounding and ebullient spirit. Like a cat, I will always land on my feet. I believe in good, and I believe in myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artwork is mainly produced in oils, dry pastels, oil pastels, oil bar paint, mixed media, digitally and by print method. The style is a blend of realism, folk and surrealism. Examples of my work are attached below and here are my websites:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76145217@N04/
https://www.hurricaneinabox.events
https://www.hurricaneinabox.art (active in June)

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Favorite books: Einsteins Dreams, Watership Down, Braiding Sweetgrass and pretty much any cookbook…
Favorite Authors: David Sedaris, Malcom Gladwell, James Baldwin, Robin Wall Kimmerer
Favorite poets: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Stephen Dunn
Favorite Apps: Alien Sky, Distressed FX
Favorite Podcasts : My Favorite Murder, Daily Beans, Café Insider, Stay Tuned with Preet, Ologies with Alie Ward, This Podcast Will Kill You, IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, Criminal and This is Love with Phoebe Judge

Pricing:

• Ask me – I’m affordable but not negotiable!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hurricaneinabox.events, https://www.hurricaneinabox.art coming June 2025
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiabaz, https://www.instagram.com/hurricane_in_a_box_events
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roberta.hancock.1/, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560508892145
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertahancock/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@robertahancock1262
• Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/i10_aWTlR-jg8YSTv80mOA/