KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 1, 2026

For LA-based artist and Kennesaw State University Alumnus Michael Kalish, returning to Atlanta for the unveiling of his new exhibition, Reel Portraits, feels like a coming home story. “I haven’t been back to Atlanta and shown in over thirty-five years,” he says.

Kalish graduated from KSU in 1996, studying art and majoring in psychology while playing outfield for the Owls baseball team. “Launching this collection in Atlanta is really a dream for me. To be able to unveil this collection in a city that holds so many memories for me, to be surrounded by my family, old friends, people I went to school with, guys I played baseball with, and my early collectors, is really a dream.”  
 
Kalish’s exhibition for Atlanta Art Fair is a series of original sculptures made from vintage film reels from classic films dating back to 1913. Kalish spent many years searching for classic films and the icons associated with them, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Judy Garland, and matching those icons with the films that they became known for. 
 
“I was able to acquire films like Rebel Without a Cause and Breakfast at Tiffany's, and from there the collection began to expand and overlap with some of my other passions,” Kalish explains. “As an athlete, I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for and interest in athletes, so I was able to acquire some incredible historical footage, including the 1947 Yankees-Dodgers film documenting the season in which Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. That became one of the sculptures in this series.” 

Two of his most notable projects include reALIze, an interactive, 40-foot outdoor cube made from 1,300 boxing bags and the world's largest monument of Muhammad Ali, and 24M, a massive interactive sculpture that formed a contiguous map of the United States when viewed from above. Kalish would go on to tour 24M with racecar driver Danica Patrick to raise awareness for COPD. 

Since 2020, Kalish’s newest venture has been acquiring vintage film reels through collectors, libraries, and auction houses and transforming them into one-of-a-kind original portraits. This acquisition journey would culminate into Reel Portraits. Kalish describes the common thread through his work as invention; taking something that already exists, seeing it differently, inventing a new way to tell a story through it, and building community around it. 
 
“Ultimately, that's what continues to excite me about being an artist after more than 30 years: seeing the work connect with people in unexpected ways. I'm incredibly grateful for the collectors, galleries, designers, fabricators, and communities that have supported me throughout that journey.” 

Reel Portraits will be exhibited at Pullman Yards’ Porter Hall at Booth E05 through October 4. 
 

 
~Story by Cai Burks, Geer College of the Arts

~Photography by Rob Hampton