El Dorado artist Kelly Campbell will present her new exhibit, "Last Call", in the Lobby Gallery at the South Arkansas Arts Center from September 22 through October 29, 2025. An artist reception will be held on Thursday, September 25, from 5:30–7:00pm, and the public is invited to attend.
"Last Call" is a collection of 31 small pastel paintings, each framed in sizes ranging from 8" x 10" to 12" x 12", alongside nine abstract watercolor landscapes. The work spans a variety of subjects, including flowers, fruit, ceramic vases, chairs, and cloud studies—offering viewers a lively and eclectic mix. Campbell describes the exhibit as "a group of 'shots' of random images which I found to be interesting and that I wanted to translate into pastel paintings." She adds with a laugh, "I guess you could say that they reflect my retired attitude—just doing whatever I want at the time!"
Within the collection, visitors will find smaller groupings of related pieces, but Campbell emphasizes that there is no "grand theme" tying them all together—just a visual diary of moments and objects that caught her eye. The exhibit's title, "Last Call", reflects not only the snapshot-like nature of the pieces but also the artist's own sentiment that this may be her final solo exhibition at SAAC.
Campbell is no stranger to the South Arkansas Arts Center. Growing up locally and now living in El Dorado, she has been a fixture in the region's art scene for decades. After retiring from teaching art in the public school system in 2007, she worked briefly at Robinson Real Estate before joining SAAC's staff in 2008, where she remained until her second retirement in 2021. As an artist, Campbell has been accepted into the SAAC Juried Art Competition seven times and has won awards for her photography. She has also collaborated on two exhibits with her close friend Julia Slaughter. This exhibition marks her fourth—and likely final—solo exhibition at SAAC.
Although officially retired, Campbell remains active in the arts community. She continues to teach at SAAC and hosts the popular Corks & Canvas workshop once a year. In conjunction with "Last Call", she will offer a Beginner's Pastel Class on Saturday, September 27 from 10am-4pm. The fee for this workshop is $60 and reservations can be made on the SAAC web site. Registration Link
The public is invited to view the exhibit during SAAC's regular hours Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm and to join the artist for her reception on September 25. For more information call SAAC at 870-862-5474.
