Keith Tolen: All About the Dots

I have had the pleasure to be in community with Mr. Keith Tolen for several years now. Whether seeing him create at the annual ArtLinc Chalk Art event in Downtown Columbia, or speaking when at local gallery show openings, or at artist’s talks.  He is always charming, a quiet gentleman.  But his demeanor belies the bold and expressive nature of his artwork: full of color and thoughtful renderings of his subjects. The old saying is ‘don’t let the smooth taste fool you’. I have also heard, ‘rich screams, but wealthy whispers’ and I think in art circles it would translate to talented screams, but gifted whispers. And Keith is moving through art spaces like a monk.

Born in Batesburg-Leesville, the second in a line of five siblings, his roots are from South Carolina. Despite a northern migration by his mother in her teens, she returned down South once she was of age. His father was from right up the road, in Saluda. Once they settled down together in Batesburg-Leesville they grew a close-knit family that largely still lives in the area.  When I asked Keith what Batesburg-Leesville is like, he shared that it is a small town known for its barbecue (Shealy’s) and the annual Poultry Festival. This is a place where family, church, and Friday night football pretty much dictate a person’s schedule.

It is partially due to that slower pace and lack of big-city amusements that started Keith on his art journey. When he was a boy, he was usually in school, at church, or doing chores like collecting wood. On the rare occasions when all those tasks were done, his mother would let him and his brothers have “free time”. In that unstructured time, he would watch his older brother draw and copy him the best he could.  

For the Tolens, the dexterous bug seems to have bitten just about all of them. Keith describes his mother as creative and always encouraging their creativity. He went on to say that his father was very good with his hands. He could do woodworking, masonry, and build just about anything. And his sister has won a ribbon for her crocheting at the Fair every year since he can remember. The more I speak to folks, the more that I realize gifts seem to be laced through families like gold in a mountain face.

Keith’s next major step toward the future we now know was when he decided that he would attend college… to join the band. He shared a story where students from South Carolina State University (SCSU)  visited his middle school when he was in eighth grade and described their experiences. What stood out to him was the band. Now if you do not know, SCSU has one of the best bands around. The Marching 101 is renowned for its powerful sound and dynamic moves on the field. So that routine eighth grade presentation planted a seed and Keith ended up playing the trumpet for three years in high school. But more importantly, he went on to attend SC State and became a proud Bulldog. 

Quick aside: They did not teach art at his high school, so who knows how that would have affected his art career if they had. #SupportArtEducation

Now if you have been reading these blog posts in chronological order, then you will remember that our last Artist attended an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Orangeburg – Claflin University. Well, this article may seem like deja vu all over again, because Keith Tolen also attended an HBCU in Orangeburg. South Carolina State University is an HBCU which is right next door to Claflin.  Just a happy accident, but it also highlights how important that additional time of discovery is for some young people. It is a time of controlled career exploration and experimentation. And if a person is surrounded by strong mentors that are invested in the student’s future, then one can only anticipate great outcomes. 

At SCSU he was initially going to major in psychology. But Keith didn’t even make it through his first class before he realized that  it was not for him. So he snuck out in the middle of class and was on his way to change his major to business when he overheard a tour led by Dr. Leo Twiggs. It was at that point that Keith decided to major in art.

Keith listed three very influential educators at SC State that really impacted his time there. In Tolen’s view, “SC State had a great staff of educators and artists.” Dr. Twiggs, “who was a powerful presence in the art department”,  Mr. James McFadden, and Dr. Terry Hunter were part of the art faculty. Keith cites Dr. Hunter for helping him see his drawing style and challenging him to create quality lines in a workshop by drawing lines over and over as an exercise. Keith said he still does that today. He makes marks to start any project. 

Just a year ago, at 90 years old, Dr. Twiggs gave an inspired speech at CMA that was both thoughtful and funny. “He has not missed a beat.” His knowledge of and how powerful art could be was so inspiring and changed Keith’s life. Dr. Twiggs is still creating today. In fact, there is a documentary that is currently showing on SCETV and the PBS app, about Dr. Twiggs named Arriving: Leo Twiggs and His Art.

Originally, Keith was also not interested in education as a career path. It was his plan to go to a big city and be a sports photographer. He was encouraged to take the teaching exam and get an education degree because he “might need something to fall back on”.  

After college graduation, Keith moved to Augusta, Georgia, to do freelance photography and publish some photos. After working in retail for several years he was blessed to meet his wife. Then, when they were expecting their first child, he was working in real estate and living in Columbia. Through these years, art was still always there. He enjoyed photographing nature and design. He always had, and always has, a sketchbook to doodle. 

Then at 30, Keith saw a post for an art teaching position. The responsibility of heading a family and the need for more stability made the option attractive. Come to find out, it was for the same site where he did his student teaching, almost a decade earlier.

Current educators will probably have empathy that his first class, which started in the middle of the school year, had over 50 students. He said they just kept adding to the already packed class.

He thought a lot about leaving teaching.

However, he kept coming back because he had a young family and needed the stability of the profession (salary and benefits, with free weekends, nights, and summers).

He also remembers that working with middle school kids who were realizing their gifts and  talents was inspiring to him. Because education was not his first love, he worked really hard to make sure the class was enjoyable, not just for the students, but for him as well. He says that the teaching-learning dynamic was “a two-way street.” Those students taught him a lot. 

Keith told a story about a girl that on one Friday, during the last class of the day, taught the class origami. That was the first time that Keith had heard of the practice. And not one person moved when school was dismissed because they were so engrossed in the activity. After that, every Friday he taught origami to his sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. 

He still loves origami and uses YouTube to learn. During his teaching career, he took advantage of professional development to increase his skills in drawing and painting, the same skills that he exhibits now during solo and group shows.

Teaching helped him to see the superpower in so many of his students. “We (educators) don’t give enough credit to what kids bring to the table, their ability to create unique ideas that are their own.”  ‘Create’ is a simple word, but so powerful, and to be able to connect to that power is special. Fear not, Keith believes that creativity can be taught. This is some of the motivation behind his work with Arts Access South Carolina, a non-profit organization that provides people with disabilities quality art experiences.

Keith still loves to see the creativity and talent in others and celebrate it.  He shared very high praises of local artist, Fred Townsend. They were both in the group show, “ “ just this past Spring. Fred is an elementary art teacher and is described as an origami master by Tolen.  His work capturing botanicals is quite impressive and hopefully, we can sit down with him for a later interview.

Currently, Keith Tolen is continuing to expand his series, One Million Dots, a colorful exploration of people, places, and things through a speckled haze. Imagine how you would see things while squinting through the glare of the bright summer sun. Keith shared that when he looks back over his work there were always dots in his designs. And with each piece, color is applied, one dot at a time. He started playing around with pointillism three or four years ago, “and now cannot stop.” He is “all about the dots.”

Keith is currently showing at the Aiken Center for the Arts from now until October 19th. You can also follow Keith Tolen on Facebook and  Instagram.