November 29, 1925

Al Allen was born in Steele, Missouri. Allen was a painter whose contributions to Arkansas culture were his artwork, his teaching, his development of the Department of Art at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and two autobiographical books. His mature work is of idealized man-made structures, often with windows, bathed in bright light. His style presents realistic subjects in a classical and abstract way. Former U.S. senators Dale Bumpers and David Pryor both displayed Allen’s works in their Washington DC offices, and two of Allen’s works hung in the White House during Bill Clinton’s presidency.