Mesa JonesN.C. Central University’s Art Museum unveiled the exhibit, “The Business of Art and Design: Celebrating Alumnus Tobias Rose,” on Nov. 6.
The art reflected NCCU alumnus Tobias Rose’s creativity, showing how his career has taken him down many paths.
He has works in photography, bodily art, graphic design and more, each showing a part of his journey.
Rose’s artistry, which will run until Jan. 3, 2025, included his album cover shoots for groups like “The Foreign Exchange,” and his graphic design work for elementary schools and voting advertisements.
Returning to NCCU to showcase his career journey was a full circle moment for him.
“This is home, this is where I rediscovered art,” said Rose.
High school brought him disappointments regarding his art and for a time, he had given up on it. When he attended NCCU, he initially majored in physics and then computer science. He quickly realized that neither were for him.
Rose was then reminded by his fellow Eagles that creativity was still an option and when he came to that realization, he dove back into it.
He graduated in 2005 with a major in art and concentration in visual communications. He also became a recipient of NCCU’s Forty Under Forty Award in 2012.
Since his departure, Rose has made many professional achievements in his career and in community engagement. He founded a Durham-based creative agency, “Kompleks Creative.”
Rose also co-founded Durham’s Black Wall Street nonprofit, located in the place he considers home.
“It really is important for me and my values to be connected,” said Rose. “NCCU even taught me how to be connected.”
He also worked with the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce as the chair of the board of directors and the National Society of Black Engineers as a regional advisor.
Rose always knew he wanted to be an artist in some form as he was called by his teachers to do murals in middle school. However, what he didn’t know was where that path would take him.
“When you get to that point where you start feeling unstoppable, you feel like you can do anything;” said Rose. “It gives you a different level of confidence.”
