Painting Wyoming: Powell artist wins Governor's Arts Award

Posted 1/21/25

Mike Kopriva was doing laundry when the phone rang. "Let the answering machine get it," he thought. Then he heard Gov. Mark Gordon leaving a message.

"I wanted to let you know that you received …

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Painting Wyoming: Powell artist wins Governor's Arts Award

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Mike Kopriva was doing laundry when the phone rang. "Let the answering machine get it," he thought. Then he heard Gov. Mark Gordon leaving a message.

"I wanted to let you know that you received the Governor's Arts Award," Gordon said as Kopriva sprinted to pick up the phone. "I just wanted to compliment you on that."

Kopriva caught Gordon just before the governor hung up. It was a call the Powell artist has been hoping to receive for a long time. The artist has won many awards for his work, but is proud of his Wyoming roots and the state’s highest award for artists was on his bucket list.

"I had been dreaming about receiving [the award] for years and just kind of gave up," he said. "Then, all of a sudden, I get the call from Mark Gordon. It was like, whoa," the 72-year-old artist said, struggling to find the words to fully describe his excitement.

Kopriva was nominated by Ann Redman — a supporter who had nominated him several times. She had asked Kopriva, who she has known for 40-plus years, if she could try just one last time.

"I thought he was very deserving and was very excited to learn he was selected," Redman said.

She first nominated him for the award in 2009, saying he "tells the story of Wyoming" with his art. Her perseverance paid off.

"[Gordon] said that it was about time to give credit to the guy that did that big mural up there in Room 302," Kopriva said. "It's been hanging there since 1982."

The massive 8-foot-by-22-foot mural in the capitol is called "Wyoming, the Land of the People, Past and Present.” Painted in acrylic, it highlights scenes from the state's different landmarks and unique interests and even has a hidden self portrait of the artist. Kopriva is renowned for his western landscapes and sculptures and the mural is not the only artwork that graces a special place.

In 1996, his painting “Spirit of Wyoming” was selected to go on the USS Wyoming ballistic nuclear submarine. It still travels with the crews internationally after over 25 years in the officer’s wardroom.

There are also several sculptures in Powell created by Kopriva. The 'Desert Redeemer' outside the Powell First Bank and others at Pinnacle Bank took so much out of him that he has since taken a long break from metal sculptures.

"I got pretty burned out with a lot of the steel work. There's so much grinding and all the black stuff on everything. If you do too much, you either go deaf or get black lung or something," he said, half joking.

Kopriva's father, Bill, who died in 1985, was a big influence in his artistic life, giving him his first set of oil paints at age 11 and later teaching him to weld.

He still has the 61-year-old painting, a plein air of Lake Marie in Glacier National Park that he did in the fifth grade.

Yet, at that young age Kopriva wanted to be an architect or a pilot. It wasn't until he twice traveled to Europe at the ages of 17 and 19 while attending Powell High School and Northwest College to see artwork by the "masters" that he decided to pursue art professionally.

There are very few artists who can say they survived on proceeds from their creations, but other than making money playing drums in various country and jazz bands, Kopriva's artwork has been his only professional undertaking.

He was one of five artists awarded the 2024 Governor's Arts Award; they'll be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Wyoming during the 42nd Annual Governor’s Arts Awards banquet Feb. 28 in Cheyenne.

    

The winners

Jane Lavino, Sugden Chief Curator of Education at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, was recognized for her dedication to arts education and curatorial excellence.

Tim Allen Lawson, a celebrated landscape artist from Sheridan, is known for his stunning depictions of Wyoming’s natural beauty.

Sue and Albert Sommers, advocates for the arts from Pinedale, were honored for their longstanding commitment to promoting and supporting the arts in Wyoming. Sue is a painter, book artist and printmaker; Albert served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2012-2024. The Sommers family has been ranching in Wyoming since about 1900.

Willie LeClair (posthumous) was an Eastern Shoshone spiritual leader, teacher and storyteller from Riverton, recognized for his profound impact on American Indian culture and the arts.

These honorees exemplify the rich cultural heritage and artistic spirit of Wyoming, and their work continues to inspire communities across the state. They will all be celebrated at a dinner and awards ceremony at the Little America Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne on Friday, Feb. 28.

The Wyoming Governor’s Arts Awards were established in 1982. Winners are selected based on their substantial contributions that exemplify a long-term commitment to the arts through their outstanding impact, breadth of support, dedication to artistic excellence and involvement in special initiatives supporting the arts.

There were many nominations submitted for this year’s awards and the selection process was competitive. Nominations were submitted to the Wyoming Arts Council in September, then reviewed in November by the Wyoming Arts Council Board. The board’s recommendations were submitted to the governor for the final selection.

The Governor’s Arts Awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a lifelong patron of the arts. Over the years, individuals and organizations from more than 40 Wyoming communities and statewide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.

     

30-piece show

Kopriva will be showing 30 of his paintings and sculptures at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland, with the grand opening reception on Feb. 7 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. There will be hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and live music. Kopriva will also be leading an acrylic paint workshop on the Feb. 15.

For more information: washakiemuseum.org/art-exhibit--sale.html.

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