2024 T.L.C. Fall Art Workshop: Artist Instructor

My art journey began as an elementary teacher on the reservation, where I taught Shoshone, Bannock, and Arapaho Native American children. Early in my teaching career, I discovered that incorporating more art and hands-on learning into daily lessons helped my students express themselves in a non-verbal and creative manner. This approach, now known as art therapy, ultimately helped calm and heal negative emotions they couldn't convey verbally or in writing.

After 15 years of teaching, I relocated to my hometown of Rawlins, which was facing the impending demolition of several historic downtown buildings. This cause held personal significance because these structures were built by my Great Grandfather, a Danish immigrant to Wyoming in 1870. I felt a new calling to preserve these historic buildings. Over the next 25 years, I worked on rescuing five buildings in Rawlins, one in Newcastle, and one in Saratoga, in addition to restoring many historic homes. While not traditional art, this work demanded a great deal of creative problem-solving, elbow grease, and a deep understanding of architectural elements and aesthetic details.

During the same period, I served on numerous boards and was involved in various community revitalization projects, combining my two passions: downtown beautification and public art installations, along with teaching art classes. I contributed to three extensive mural projects in Rawlins, Newcastle, and Saratoga, collaborating with local artists to create 14 murals.

In 2015, my journey took me to Aurora, Nebraska, where I attended my first art workshop. I have returned every year since. My lifelong love of art found a permanent home in mixed media, thanks to the fantastic instruction I received in Aurora. My work has been featured in several galleries in Wyoming and South Dakota, and I continue to teach art classes for both adults and children in my Rawlins studio, the Bottle Bar Art Studio.

Heidi Larsen Facebook