The Key West Museum of Artwork & Historical past has unveiled a vivid tribute to the late Guyanese-born artist Ray Rolston with the opening of “Key West Colours: The Artwork of Ray Rolston.”
The retrospective, which opened on Might 30 and runs by November 9, 2025, options greater than 50 authentic works that remember the life, legacy, and lasting creative imaginative and prescient of an artist who introduced the Caribbean’s vibrancy to the guts of Key West.
Rolston (1947–2019), who migrated to the U.S. and spent three a long time in New York and South Florida earlier than relocating to the Florida Keys, was identified for his daring use of coloration, textured brushwork, and deep-rooted sense of place. Raised alongside the banks of the Demerara River in Guyana, his early connection to nature and tropical gentle shaped the inspiration of his creative type—a visible language he carried with him as he made South Florida his residence.
“Ray’s Key West was at all times alive with the identical palette and heat that formed his early years within the Caribbean,” mentioned Michelle Rolston, the artist’s daughter and steward of his legacy. “His brush captured a way of place that was each deeply private and universally recognizable to anybody who is aware of island life.”
The exhibit explores Rolston’s recurring themes—cultural reminiscence, tropical structure, maritime life, and the quiet dignity of on a regular basis island scenes. Every portray is a window right into a world the place the Caribbean and Key West merge in coloration and spirit. Guests will discover themselves immersed in a panorama formed by Rolston’s heritage and his deep affection for the individuals and locations of the islands.
This marks the second main solo exhibition of Rolston’s work since his dying in 2019. His artwork has since drawn renewed consideration from collectors and establishments, putting him among the many Caribbean artists whose work bridges cultural borders and visible storytelling.
Caribbean artwork lovers and members of the Guyanese diaspora are particularly inspired to go to. Greater than only a showcase of 1 man’s expertise, Key West Colours is a celebration of how Caribbean id continues to form and encourage creative expression removed from residence.
‘The Artwork of Ray Rolston’ exhibition particulars:
The Artwork of Ray Rolston
Might 30 – November 9, 2025
Key West Museum of Artwork & Historical past
281 Entrance Avenue, Key West, FL 33040
