Keith Rose

Keith Rose is an artist and graphic designer. He takes influence from bold colors, minimalism, screen printing, stencil paintings and the community he calls home. He made the move to Louisville in 2010 after having grown up in Cynthiana, KY during the 80's and 90's. For the past 5 years he has worked in the graphic design and sign industry which has taught him the basics of utilitarian design and craftsmanship. Implementing these skills along with the influence of DIY punk aesthetic and the smooth and bold features of pop art, he has found his own voice in a visual field he never anticipated inhabiting. He's thankful to be here though. “After having lived here for 10 years, when asked what Louisville means to me, it's easy to say the answer is community. Since community is important to me I put out a poll via social media to determine what Louisville means to my network of friends, to my personal community. Overwhelmingly, the majority of answers referred to the sense of community so this wasn't something that I alone was feeling. The answers that didn't state community directly were all products of a thriving community: art, food, music, parks, diversity, etc. I wanted to tie that sense of community to the time this art was created. In the age of COVID-19 we've learned exactly how much we use our hands to communicate and how some of that may be restricted at the moment. I felt a strong urge to convey our hands in a way that was inclusive therefore the sign language. "Community pride" spelled out, with our hands, colored in with the shades of the inclusive Pride flag. Even as our hands stay apart, they're still communicating and representing each and every one of us. With these hands we can display our rage, joy, disappointment, excitement, and anything else our community feels the need to be expressed. Even when we are physically apart, we're in this community together. All of us. The strength and the pride in this community will always guide us to a better place.”