Cowboys & Indians - Western Art Collector

Article in the April 2017 Western Art Collector

The Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum is hosting a new exhibition, Cowboys & Indians, opening April 20, featuring the bronze sculptures of Harold T. Holden and the oil paintings of Mike Larsen. The show highlights the distinctive styles and subjects that have defined each artist’s career: Holden, a member of the Cowboy Artists of America, is celebrated for his dynamic, action-packed cowboy bronzes, while Larsen’s work reflects his deep appreciation for Native American culture, capturing human figures with striking presence and stylized hands—a technique inspired by classical sculptors like Rodin and Michelangelo.

The exhibition coincides with Holden’s upcoming induction into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on April 22. Holden, who humbly admits initial disbelief at the honor, will join a distinguished roster that includes artists, actors, ranchers, and Western icons such as Gene Autry, Edward Borein, and Frederic Remington.

Mike Larsen, who has known Holden since his 2014 induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, praises him as “one of the greatest artists I know,” noting that this recognition is well deserved. Together, Holden and Larsen’s works offer visitors a compelling look at the Western and Native American traditions that continue to inspire Oklahoma artists today.