Mike Larsen

Artist Bio

Mike Larsen, of Perkins, Oklahoma, is a painter and sculptor of history, researching the people and events he paints and sculpts. Historical accuracy is as important as his palette.

Beginning his career in the late 1960’s, 1991 brought his first major commission - to paint a 26-foot-long mural for the Oklahoma Capitol Rotunda of five internationally prominent ballet dancers, all born in Oklahoma, all Native American, titled "Flight of Spirit".

From 2000 to 2004, Mike painted eight murals for the Oklahoma Art Institute, located at Quartz Mountain, Oklahoma. That was followed in 2005 by six murals commissioned by the University of Oklahoma Reynolds Performing Art Center and School of Dance.

Beginning in 2005, Mike started the Chickasaw Nation's Living Elders project. This commission was begun with 24 portraits and has continued with two more groups of Elders.

2006 brought the United States Postage Stamp for the 2007 Oklahoma Centennial. An image of The Cimarron River about a mile south of Perkins, was painted with the title "Oh What a Beautiful Morning". In 2007, he completed two monumental bronzes for The Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall.

In 2008, Mike finished the two-year project of eight murals for the Pokagon Band Potawatomi Tribe in Michigan.

Mike completed a public commission for a twice life-sized sculpture for St. Joseph's Regional Health Center in Patterson, NJ, in 2009.

In the Fall of 2012 Mike completed "The Arrival" for the Chickasaw Cultural Center and in 2017 he created another twice life bronze entitled “Victorious” for the Chickasaw Conference Center.

In 2021, Mike was commissioned to create a monumental size bronze of retiring President Burns Hargis to honor his service to Oklahoma State University. The bronze was unveiled on September 9, 2022, and is located on the east side of the Library Lawn.

Artist Work

Title: Spirit Catcher
Category: Visual Arts
Genre: Painting
Description: This depicts a Shaman from a Pacific Northwest tribe praying for his people.

Title: Flight of Spirit
Category: Visual Arts
Genre: Painting
Description: The mural in the Oklahoma State Capitol Building depicting the five Native Ballerinas who are all from Oklahoma.

Title: The Arrival
Category: Visual Arts
Genre: Sculpture
Description: This 9 foot sculpture was commissioned for the Chickasaw Cultural Center and depicts a Chickasaw family arriving at their new homeland after removal.

Location

 74059