Earl Heikka
American sculptor (1910-1941)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Earl Heikka (May 3, 1910 – May 18, 1941) was an American sculptor. He designed figurines and statues of the Old West, miners, and horses. He committed suicide at age 31.
Earl Heikka | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 3, 1910 Belt, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | May 18, 1941 (aged 31) Great Falls, Montana, U.S. |
| Education | Great Falls High School |
| Occupation | Sculptor |
| Spouse | Virginia Middleton |
| Children | 4 |
Early life
Heikka was born on May 3, 1910, in Belt, Montana.[1][2] Both his parents were immigrants from Finland.[3] His father, who served as an alderman in Belt,[3] died when Heikka was four, and the latter grew up in Great Falls, Montana.[1] Heikka graduated from the Great Falls High School.[1]
Career
Heikka opened his first studio on actor Gary Cooper's ranch in 1929.[3] He was introduced to William Andrews Clark, III, the grandson of mining magnate William A. Clark, by Cooper in 1930.[1] It was thanks to Clark that Heikka exhibited his work at the Stendahl Galleries in the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles in 1931.[1][3] Heikka subsequently exhibited his work in Dallas, Texas in 1936, and at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco in 1939.[3]
W. A. Clark III,[4] like many Montana businessmen, collected his work.[3] For Cornelius F. Kelley, the chairman of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Heikka designed a six-foot statue of a miner entering a tunnel; the work was installed at his private residence on Long Island.[2][5] Others received a sculpture from Heikka through barter; Heikka often gave his artwork to pay back his debts in local stores.[3]
Heikka designed figurines of the Old West, including Native Americans, cowboys, horses, and mules.[6] He also did figurines of miners,[1][5] and nativity scenes.[7] Heikka often did sketches or oil or watercolor paintings before designing his statues,[3] and at least one sculpture was based on a sketch by Charles M. Russell.[4] According to the Great Falls Tribune, "Heikka had made a name for himself in national art circles, particularly with his modeling depicting picturesque phases of the old west. Combined with the lifelike rendition of the subjects was a careful attention to historical accuracy of all detail."[1]
Personal life, death and legacy
Heikka married Virginia Middleton in 1933.[8] They had four children, and they resided in Great Falls.[1] Heikka was a member of Christian Science.[9]
Heikka took up drinking shortly after his brother Mike's death.[3] In May 1941, he had an argument with his wife, who left him and moved into her parents' house with their children.[10] A few days later, on May 18, 1941, Heikka drove up to their house and committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart inside his car.[1][5][10] His Christian Science funeral was held at the W. H. George Chapel two days later.[9]
Some of Heikka's work is in the permanent collection of the C. M. Russell Museum Complex in Great Falls and the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell.[11][12] The Earl E. Heikka Museum at 2222 Central Avenue West, Great Falls, opened in 1995.[2]