Charles B. Keeler (1882- 1964) -- student

Born in 1882 Cedar Rapids, Charles Keeler attended the Harvard School in Chicago (IL) and then enrolled at Harvard University (1901), completing his studies in 1905. Upon graduation, Keeler began training as an architect at the Chicago firm of Pond & Pond, soon realizing the career was not a true match for his temperament. Following a brief stay in Wyoming, Keeler returned to Illinois and enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago (1907), specializing in decorative design.

From 1908-1912, Keeler pursued extensive international travel, even while faced with serious illness and odd misfortunes. His explorations included time in Italy, Spain, Morocco, British Columbia, and France. By 1911, Keeler had a personal studio in Chicago, near the edge of Jackson Park, where he devoted his talents to etching. While in the city, he participated in three Art Institute of Chicago exhibitions (1911, 1913, and 1915). In Ronda, Spain (1912-1913), the artist purchased a burro and explored the Sierras, painting and sketching during his travels. Keeler periodically returned to Cedar Rapids, visiting family and exhibiting works of note. The U.S. National Museum (Smithsonian) purchased one of his prints for its permanent collection (1915); that same year, the St. Paul Institute of Art (MN) awarded him a silver medal for etching. Keeler also received honorable mention accolades at the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco (1915). As an artist, Keeler was involved with the Torch Press, based in Cedar Rapids. He designed, etched, and printed the frontispiece and title page for the Torch Press' 1915 and 1916 popular Christmas series releases.

As the United States entered World War I, Keeler was renting a home near Gibraltar and hurriedly returned to Iowa, joining the army at Camp Dodge (1918) as a private. Due to his fluency in French, Keeler was the company's (339th Field Artillery) translator and delegate to camouflage school; the men were briefly stationed near the Marne River (November 1918). Following the armistice, Keeler was officially released in February 1919. He married in 1920 and moved to California in 1921, where he purchased an acreage near Glendora, naming the ranch "Fin de Viaje" ("End of the Trip"). For years, Keeler maintained the property and did little painting or etching.

Keeler's etchings gained him later notoriety in a 1927 showing at the Los Angeles Museum (sponsored by the American Institute of Graphic Arts) and at the "Fine Prints of the Year" exhibition (1929) in London. He attended the Stone City art colony in 1933 and later moved to Dana Point, California (1956). His works were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution's division of graphic arts (1937) and at the Library of Congress. Keeler had one-man shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Paul (MN), and in Morocco. His etchings were held in collections at the Los Angeles Museum of Art, the Cedar Rapids Public Library, the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.). He was a member of the Society of Etchers (Chicago, IL) and the Print Makers Society of California. Keeler later relocated to Los Angeles, where he died in January 1964.

Online Resources on Charles Keeler:

Chicagosilver.com. " "The Artists' Guild, 1917: Chicago." Available: http://chicagosilver.com/artists_guild.htm

AskArt.com. " "AskArt: Charles B. Keeler." Available: http://www.askart.com/askart/k/charles_butler_keeler/charles_butler_keeler.aspx

Smithsonian American Art Museum. " "Search Collections: Charles B. Keeler." Available: http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/results/?id=2577