PRESS RELEASE
"Cowboys and Indians," an exhibition of the history and glory of Western culture, opens on January 5, 2024, from 5 to 9 PM at the award-winning art gallery, JRB Art at The Elms, in the historic Paseo Arts District. This blockbuster show features the bronzes of Western sculptor, Harold Holden (1940-2023); Native American painter, muralist, and sculptor of history, Mike Larsen; and Jack Fowler, an accomplished painter of contemporary landscapes.
Holden (1940-2023), widely known as "H,” was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014 and was the first Oklahoma Artist to be inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 2017. He is scheduled to be inducted into the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame in February 2024. H’s work includes 25 highly acclaimed public monuments installed throughout the state, including the Will Rogers World Airport, the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, the Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma State University’s campus in Stillwater, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Additionally, an image of his sculpture, “Boomer,” was featured on a U.S. Postage stamp.
Mike's love for painting and sculpting dancing figures began in 1991 when he was commissioned by the State of Oklahoma to paint a 26-foot-long mural in the Oklahoma Capitol Rotunda of five internationally famous Native American dancers. From 2000 to 2004, Mike painted eight murals for the Oklahoma Art Institute at Quartz Mountain, followed by six murals at the Oklahoma Reynolds Performing Arts Center at the University of Oklahoma. In 2006, his painting, “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," was a featured image for the Oklahoma Centennial and was printed on a U.S. Postage stamp. Mike has created two life-size bronzes that are installed at the Oklahoma City Civic Music Hall and has completed 72 portraits of living elders for the Chickasaw Cultural Center. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2016. His autobiography, “Never be Afraid of Your Horses,” was published in Spring 2017.
Jack Fowler is an Oklahoma City-based painter of portraits, public art, custom sneakers, and contemporary western landscapes. Born in Ada and raised in eastern Oklahoma, Jack has worked as a journalist, school teacher, cowboy, and musician. Since becoming a full-time artist in 2011, he has exhibited his work from Arizona to Uganda. Known For his pop-influenced portraits and contemporary western landscapes, Fowler has painted several public murals, including the “Bricktown OKCtopus.”
“Cowboys and Indians," the exhibition, will be on view at The Elms through February 29, 2024.