Harold Allen is a well-respected member of the Metropolitan Detroit artistic community. He has studies at various educational institutions, including Wayne County Community College; the College for Creative Studies (BFA) and Wayne State University (MFA). He has taught painting, drawing, color theory, and art history at several educational institutions, including Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, and College for Creative Studies and Macomb Community College. Harold has been associated with several professional art organizations such as the National Conference of Artists, Detroit Artist Market Exhibition Committee, Paint Creek Center for the Arts Committee Exhibition, Detroit Focus Gallery Review Committee, and the Pontiac Creative Art Center Exhibition Committee.
Harold has received grants from the Arts Foundation of Michigan, Michigan Council for the Arts, Arts Midwest Fellowship. Awards for his work have been received from the JB Speed Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. In addition to these venues, he has exhibited his colorfully expressive painting in local galleries and museums such as the Detroit Artist Market Gallery, Greater Flint Art Council, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Buckham Gallery, Johanson Charles Gallery, JRainey Gallery, Dell Pryor Gallery, Lemberg Gallery, Pontiac Creative Arts Center, Metropolitan Center for the Creative Arts, Cranbrook Art Museum, Museum of African American History. Nationally audiences have viewed his work in the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana, the Museum of African-American Life and Culture in Dallas, Texas, JB Speed Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Harold has artwork in the public collection of Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Company, Poletown Properties, North Central Community Health Center, Saginaw Art Museum, and the Art Center of Battle Creek also his artwork is in a number of private collections