Althea Keaton

Artist Statement

I grew up in a small town where I was often bullied and ostracized for being "different". As a teen, I saw my first pride flag and for the first time felt a sense of community and welcome. For years after, I made a point of wearing a pride band on my wrist so that others like me in an area where there were so few would know that they, too, were not alone. Even when I'm not literally waving a flag, I have made it a point in my art and in my life to never let my queerness be invisible. No matter how much progress has been made or how progressive an area might be, there are always still people - young and old - who need to see that they are not alone, that they have a community, and that they are loved.