Jeffrey T. Larson (1962) was born in Two Harbors, MN and raised in the Minneapolis, MN area. Between 1980 and 1984, he studied under Richard Lack (1928-2009) at the prestigious Atelier Lack also located in Minneapolis. At this time the Atelier was one of the very few studio programs still existing in the world whose traditions and training methods reach back through Impressionism to the 18th-century French Academies. He deepened his knowledge in anatomical studies at the University of Minnesota, bronze casting and finishing at private foundries through years of personal studies in museums across both America and abroad.
Jeffrey and his wife, Heidi met when he was head instructor and assistant director (1984-1986) at Atelier LeSuere. Since then, he has painted professionally full-time.
In 1990, they bought and renovated an old school in northern Wisconsin near the shores of Lake Superior where they lived, worked and raised a family.
His work has won numerous first-place awards in both national and international fine art competitions, including: the Grand Draper Prize by the Portrait Society of America,
Art Renewal’s Center International Salon, and the Artist’s Magazine.
He has had over 20 one-man exhibitions in multiple galleries throughout the nation. He’s placed more than 750 works in private and public collections. In 2016, the Tweed Museum of Art exhibited his work with a 25 year retrospective.
In 2016 he and his wife purchased a historic old stone church in Duluth, MN and, along with their son Brock, renovated it and founded the Great Lakes Atelier of Fine Art, (GLAFA).
In 2017, British filmmaker Joe Hawkins, in conjunction with East Oaks Studio, created an hour-long, Catalyst Award winning documentary featuring Jeffrey’s life and artistic journey.
Awards, Honors and Publications
2024 – Portrait Society of America: William F. Draper Grand Prize- “King Hall”
2022 – “The Oil Painter’s Color Handbook” Todd M. Casey
2017 – “Jeffrey T. Larson: Documentary” A Joe Hawkins Film, Catalyst Film Festival Award Winner.
2017 – Art Renewals Center, International Salon Competition; First Place- Figure: “Laundry”
2013 – The Artist Magazine, National Competition; First Place- Still Life: “In the Light of Life”
2012 – The Artist magazine, National Competition; First Place- Still Life: “Bread Rack”
2009 – The Artist Magazine, Cover, November Issue
2009 – The Artist Magazine, National Competition; First Place- landscape: “Blue Marsh”
2009 – Art Renewals Center, International Salon Competition; First & Third Place Still Life: “Reflections” & “Electrolux.”
2008 – The Artist Magazine, National Competition; First Place- Still Life: “Electrolux”
2008 – The Individualist, May Issue, “The Artist, Jeff Larson’s Radical Perceptions”
2007 – Susan K. Black Foundation, Art of Flowers Award- Best Miniature: “Dandelion Bouquet”
2004 – American Artist Magazine, Cover, February Issue
2001 Classical Realism Journal, Vol. VI Issue 2: “Focus on Excellence”
2000 – PBS Venture North Show
2000 – National Diabetes Association, Featured Artist
Art Education
1988 – Minnesota private foundries (bronze casting and finishing)
1987 – Began years of Museum study in America and abroad
1983 – University of Minnesota, study of human anatomy
1980-1984 Atelier Lack, Minneapolis
Teaching Experience
2016-present – Director and cofounder of the Great Lakes Atelier of Fine Art, Duluth, MN
2010-2015 – Visiting Instructor
1995-present – Seminars and lectures on different aspects of oil painting
1986 – University of Minnesota, taught traditional oil painting techniques
1984-1986 – Assistant Director and Head Instructor of the Atelier LeSuere, Excelsior, MN
1983-1985 – Instructor of the Atelier Lack, Minneapolis, MN
Galleries: Past and Present
Salmagundi Club, NY.NY.
Cavalier Gallery, NY.NY.
Maxwell Alexander, Los Angeles,CA.
Brennon Fine Art, Palm Springs, CA. & Santa Fe, NM.
Collins Galley, Orleans, Cape Cod, MA.
Eleanor Ettinger Gallery, NY.NY.
Arcadia Gallery, NY.NY.
Tree’s Place Gallery, Orleans, Cape Cod, MA.
Trailside Americana, Scottsdale, AZ.
MN. River Gallery, Burnsville, MN.
Christines of Santa Fe, NM.
Heritage Art Gallery, Alexandria, VA.
Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN.
The Beard Gallery, Mpls. MN.
Exhibitions
2024 – New Salem Museum of Art, New Salem, MA., acquired “King Hall” for its permanent collection.
2024 – Portrait Society of America, Atlanta, GA., Top twenty exhibit. Awarded the William F. Draper Grand Prize for the portrait “King Hall.”
2024 – Salmagundi Club, NY.NY., Third Annual Hartley Invitational
2024 – Salmagundi Club, NY.NY., “face to Face” Exhibition
2023 – Keeneland/Cross Gate Gallery, Lexington, KY. “The Sporting Auction”
2023 – Salmagundi Club, NY.NY., Second Annual Hartley Invitational
2022 – Keeneland/Cross Gate Gallery, Lexington, KY., “The Sporting Auction”
2020 – Collins Gallery, Cape Cod, MA., Two-Man Exhibition
2019 – Maxwell Alexander Gallery, LA., CA. “Small Works Show”
2019 – Coors Western Art Exhibit, Denver, CO.
2017 – Art Renewals Center Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NY.NY., & MEAM: the European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain.
2017 – Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN., acquired “Kenmore” for its permanent collection
2016 – Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN., Jeffrey T. Larson: “Domestic Space” Twenty-Five year retrospective.
2015 – Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI., “Birds in Art”
2012 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA., Three-Man Exhibition
2012 – Galleria, Edina, MN., One-Man Exhibition
2011 – ACOPAL: American China Oil Painting Artists League, Traveling Exhibition: The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH., & the World Art Museum in Beijing, China.
2011 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA., One-Man Exhibition
2010 – Galleria, Edina, MN., One-Man Exhibition
2010 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA., One- Man Exhibition
2009 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA., Two-Man Exhibition “Following the Artistic Conscience”
2008 – Boston International Fine Art Show, Tree’s Place, Boston, MA.
2008 – Eleanor Ettinger Gallery, NY.NY., Still Life Exhibition
2008 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA., One-Man Exhibition
2007 – Boston International Fine Art Show, Tree’s Place, Boston, MA.
2007 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA., Small Works Exhibit
2007 – Galleria, Edina, MN., One-Man Exhibition
2006 – Arcadia Gallery, NY.NY., Small Works Exhibit
2006 – American Fine Art Show, Arcadia Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
2006 – Tree’s Place, Cape Cod, MA.
2005 – Galleria, Edina, MN., One-Man Exhibition
2005 – American Fine Art Show, Arcadia Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
2005 – Art Miami, Arcadia Gallery
2004 – American Fine Art Show, Arcadia Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
2003 – Wayzata, MN. One-Man Exhibition
2001 – Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN. One-Man Exhibition
2000 – Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1999 – Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1998 – Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1997 – Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN. One-man Exhibition
1997 – Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, FL. One-Man Exhibition
1996 – Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1995 – Minnesota River Gallery, Burnsville, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1994 – Minnesota River Gallery, Burnsville, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1993 – Wayzata, MN. One-Man Exhibition
1991 – Tokyo, Japan & Guam, Traveling Group Show
1989 – Fullerton Estate, Wayzata, MN. Two-Man Exhibition
1988 – Fullerton Estate, Wayzata, MN. Two-Man Exhibition