Milnes served as Dean of the College of Visuals Arts and Design at the University of North Texas from January 2006 to his retirement in August 2014, when he moved to Asheville, NC with his wife Karen, re-establishing Arbitrary Forms Studio there. A sculptor and ceramist, he served previously as Director of the School of Art and Design at San Jose State University in California, Director of the School of Art at Louisiana State University, and as Chair of the Art Department at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He taught at the Penland School of Crafts in 1972 and 1979.

Since 1969, Robert Milnes has worked in ceramics, often incorporating a range of materials such as clay, copper, and steel. His sculptures depict strong and colorful figurative and geometric forms. This exciting exhibition, includes various unique earthenware sculptures with textured glaze that depict symbols, mapping systems, and codes found in everyday life.

His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the U.S., and can be found in multiple museum and corporate art collections including the San Jose Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, Arizona State University Ceramics Research Center, Erie Art Museum and the Sony Corporation.

This November, Robert Milnes’ works will be included in the prestigious Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, which features over 150 artists and artisans from the United States.