Harold Keller Brings Magic Realism to Downtown Fayetteville
The Porter Art Warehouse at Walton Arts Center has a new tenant. Harold Keller: Portals marks the venue’s first art showcase in Fayetteville’s downtown arts district, featuring magic realism work that blends everyday life with the fantastic.
Inside the Exhibition
The exhibition features over 300 pieces donated by Keller’s family in 2024. You’ll see paintings, drawings, ceramics, artist books, and working studies that show how Keller developed his finished pieces from initial sketches to completed works.
Curator Matthew Bailey organized the show to walk you through different phases: Keller’s Arkansas years, his paintings from the 1970s and 1980s, his drawings on mylar from the 1990s, and his collaborative artist books. The collection comes from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Gallery of Art and Design, which houses the largest collection of Keller’s work.
When Reality Gets a Little Weird
Keller’s work layers cultural references, religious themes, personal memories, and immediate experiences on canvas. His paintings transform the mundane into something that makes you stop and look twice.
This style, known as magic realism, doesn’t just add fantasy to ordinary scenes. Keller used it to reimagine art, religion, culture, and experience through a lens that challenges how you see reality.
The work reflects Keller’s time in Arkansas, where he taught at Fort Smith Junior College from 1956 to 1962. That influence stuck with him throughout his 70-year career.
THE DEETS
📅 Thursday, January 15 – Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Mon-Sat 11:00am – 2pm | Thurs- Sat 5:00pm – 8:00pm
📍 Walton Arts Center Alexander Gallery (Porter Art Warehouse)| 212 N West Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701
🔗 More Info and Reservation
Join the opening reception on Thursday, January 15 from 6-8 PM with light refreshments. RSVPs are requested due to limited capacity. Reserve your spot and see you at the Porter Art Warehouse.
