Timothy Bride Keating
Obituary

Timothy Bride Keating, 76, left this life on 6/6/26 after a month in Los Angeles hospital. Timothy, a visionary artist, was born in Meriden, CT, 1949, to Ray and Helen Keating. He received a BA degree at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY in Environmental Design. He was founder and director of nonprofit arts organization Sidewalk in Hartford, Connecticut in late 1970-1980’s creating cutting edge art, performance and video works. Always an artist, his large paintings were expressive and abstract. He exhibited at Real Art Ways, Artwork Gallery and elsewhere in Hartford, CT.

After many productive, creative years he left CT in 1982 and rode his motorcycle to Los Angeles to work in film. He lived in three original Arts District lofts over 41 years.

He was a great community leader, a strong presence and a creative artist who will be missed by many. As a self-believer, he created and organized arts festivals in the Los Angeles Arts District, distributed grant money to nonprofit art projects and planned on building an art performance space. Timothy was the strength, the glue of the neighborhood. As a creative entrepreneur and an inspiration to many, his character was charismatic and supportive. His legacy will live on in the community he influenced.

As President of LARABA, a nonprofit neighborhood organization, he spent many years volunteering, started a farmers market and planted over 300 trees and served on the Little Tokyo/Arts District Neighborhood Council board for years. As a Union member of IATSE Local 44, he loved the team efforts of film and television projects and on many David E Kelley productions, including Alley McBeal, as on-set props and art department roles. Tim co-developed LADAD SPACE, a nonprofit Art District organization, to create a venue for the arts, and started District Gallery, which hosted art exhibitions for over 100 artists.

An honorary proclamation was awarded to Tim by Los Angeles City Council Member Jan Perry. Always an advocate for the artists, he fought for affordable housing for artists and for better neighborhood planning in the Arts District, creating several day long conferences for future leaders and developers to engage the Districts direction. Some of those ideas helped shape the current Art District. In one instance he helped organize an exhibit with designers to imagine what 10 acres of empty land could become in the area. This exhibit introduced SCI-Arc School of Architecture into the community and eventually housing was built on the land next to it.

Tim designed and built his own home and studio in the high desert with his partner of 49 years, artist Valerie Mitchell. Tim’s unique personality was shaped by his early dedicated as an altar boy and Eagle Scout along with cross country running.

Tim, oldest of six, is survived by his loving wife Valerie, three brothers, a sister, nephews and nieces and extended family. Plans for a future memorial exhibition and retrospective. View the upcoming LA Times Legacy.com memorial site for more info and sharing.