Local Art Seen: Jeffrey T. Larson's Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art

This weekend I stopped to visit the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art to see how things were unfolding. Earlier this year I went to hear founder and classical impressionist Jeffrey T. Larson give an artist talk at the Tweed and came away thoroughly impressed as well as honored that of all places in North America he chose Duluth to call home. The facility he selected was a former Catholic church up the hill on West Third Street.

I arrived to find the building abuzz with all kinds of activity. Students were on a break for lunch, but carpenters and others were active in the back stairwell and downstairs. Mr. Larson gave me a quick tour and explained his vision in terms of how the space would be used. "An apartment will be here, a bathroom will go over there..." The former sanctuary is where the students will be drawing and painting. All about the room there were various workstations set up displaying works-in-progress.

The photos here show first year students mastering the art of drawing. Drawing is one of the essential skills, though not the essential skill. Once students master black and white, they will progress to color. The program aims at teaching the full toolkit of essential skills. As I walked about it gave me a feeling akin to the Renaissance school with activity going on in every direction and everyone very seriously engaged in what they were doing.

Follow this link to learn more about the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art.

To purchase giclee reproductions of Jeffrey T. Larson's original paintings, visit CPL Imaging. All proceeds go to the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art.

Architectural drawings serve as a roadmap to where the building itself is going.

It all starts with learning how to see.

Only the beginning...

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.