Earl Heikka

Trophy Hunters by Earl Heikka, X1974.15.01

This is a bit of a darker ramble, I know I am struggling with depression and anxiety with the C-19 weirdness, as are some of my coworkers. I think of an amazing artist in our collection, Earl Heikka. We have several bronzes and a couple of models done by him. Heikka seems to have started as a shooting star in his career being collected by the likes of William Clark III, having a studio on Gary Cooper’s ranch. He apparently had a problem with alcohol and way too young committed suicide. 

None of us is immune to the dark night of soul, and the strictures around C-19, social distancing, self-isolating and so forth are causing underlying challenges to rear their ugly heads. I am thankful that I can get help, talk to friends, ramble with my dogs. There is still a stigma around mental health, and often one needs to get over one’s own resistances in order to get and receive that help.