Baker Artist Portfolios

Jimmy Rouse is a well-known Baltimore artist. He attended Gilman School, followed by Yale University, graduating in 1967 with a B.A. in political science.

It was then he began to pursue his true love: art. Over the years, he has had many jobs that support his art habit. From 1974 to 1981 he worked at Martick’s Restaurant Francais. From 1981 to 1998 he owned and operated Louie’s Bookstore Café. Louie’s was a very popular combination bookstore, art gallery, live classical music venue, full-service lunch and dinner restaurant and bar. Since selling Louie’s he has been working on his own artwork. He also has been active in the community, being a co-founder of the Charles Street Development Corporation. Ten years ago, he co-founded another non-profit Transit Choices and spends his mornings working to improve public transit in Baltimore City. The rest of the day, he works on his art at his studio in Clipper Mill. Rouse’s oil paintings include still lives, landscapes, portraits and figures, as well as narrative and allegorical paintings. In clay, he models free-standing figures, portrait heads, and bas-reliefs which he paints.

Rouse states, “For me, art is about reflecting on our miraculous experience living on this planet Earth. Composing a picture is like composing a symphony where every line, form, and color are notes, which contribute to the whole. Life is magical and I hope my paintings portray this magic. I feel grateful that I have been able to create and pursue my art over the past 50 years.”