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Mike Olsen
Background
Mike Olsen was born in Everett, Washington in 1963. He lived in
Fairbanks Alaska for eight years where he developed an interest in Northwest
Indian art. As a child, he carved many small figurines and other items that he sold in his mother's gift
shop.
After moving to Vancouver, Washington, Mike continued his interest
in art at Columbia River High School, where he graduated in 1982. Two years later,
he married
Brenda Schurman of Ridgefield. They have one son, Steven. The Olsens live and
work at their riverside studio near Sunset Falls in Yacolt, Washington.
| Mike's talent, and expertise are evident throughout the community
and Pacific Northwest in several media, including landscape design, construction
projects
and sculptures of wood, metal, pottery, found objects and stone. He has performed his totem
pole art in public at the Clark
County Fair and carved ice sculptures for the Heathman Lodge, Columbia Edgewater Country Club, The
SWIFT Foundation, Western Art Association and many private parties and
weddings.
He has also donated his time and talent to several non-profit organizations including SWIFT,
Outward Bound, Rocky Mountain Elk Federation, Tiger Warren Art Foundation and Columbia River Girl Scout
Council. |
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Local Work
| Clark County Fair |
35 foot totem pole, carving demonstration and donation, 1989 |
| Lewis River Telephone Co. |
two 14 foot totem poles |
| Harmony Lake RV Park |
three totems, roadside sign, IO foot salmon and other
interior pieces |
| Heathman Lodge
(Click here for detail of work performed
at the Heathman Lodge)
|
one 28 foot totem pole and one 10 foot totem pole in hotel
lobby
koi pond and landscape design
carved newel posts on grand staircase
one 4x8-foot metal wall hanging
forged metal bands for interior log work
salmon sculpture in manager's office
16 foot dugout canoe |
| Alderbrook Park |
figure head reproduction of Sir Francis Drake's Golden
Hinde |
| Alder Creek Canoe & Kayak Tomahawk Island, Portland |
roadside sculpture and sign |
| NoHo's Hawaiian Cafe |
IO foot exterior surfboard sign - wood and metal |
| Amboy Territorial Days |
12 foot house post totem, donation |
| Battle Ground Mercantile |
exterior sign, two 9 foot garden sculptures |
| Port of Ridgefield |
exterior sign - wood and metal depicting indigenous wildlife |
| Natural Spaces |
ongoing retail offerings of sculpture, wall hangings, furniture |
| Maple Grove Primary School Battle Ground School District |
memorial wall hanging of wood and metal |
| Pacific Northwest Best Fish (Robinson Cold Storage) |
Monument sign, 12 foot totem pole, blue heron sculpture,
rock sculpture |
McCormick Schmicks
San Jose, CA. |
6 foot salmon sculptures traversing front of building |
Commissioned works are also on public and private display in Alaska,
British
Columbia, Pennsylvania, Colorado and California. |
