photo by: Courtney Bernard/LMH Health Foundation
The rooftop garden renovation at LMH Health, completed in May, features a large mural called “Kansas Symphony of Seasons” painted by local artist Louis Copt.
Longtime Lawrence artist Louis Copt died Thursday night after disclosing in a newsletter last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Copt, 76, was a well-known painter whose work, primarily oil on canvas, but also murals, focused on prairie themes and landscapes.
In a social media post Friday, the Lawrence Arts Center said it was heartbroken to learn that Copt, a “longtime friend, teaching artist, and supporter, … passed away last night.”
photo by: Courtesy of Lawrence Public Library
Artist Louis Copt is pictured in front of the Lawrence Public Library with his artwork “Fuel For The Imagination.”
“Louis was kind, caring, and an incredible artist,” the post said. “We had the honor of working closely with Louis over the years, and his presence will be deeply missed.”
Copt disclosed in a newsletter April 3 that he and his wife were packing to visit their kids in Colorado when he “felt bad and went back to bed.” He soon discovered via a CT scan that he had stage 4 esophageal cancer. He received radiation treatment and was slated to begin chemotherapy on April 28, he wrote.
“This will drastically cut into my painting time and other art activities,” he wrote. “…I am lucky to be surrounded by my family and more friends than I can count here in Lawrence who are helping me and my family on this unplanned adventure.”
photo by: Mike Yoder
A mural depicting a Flint Hills sunset during a prairie burn is painted on the south side of Mass Street Music, 1347 Massachusetts St., by muralists Rico Alvarez, far left, and Isaac Tapia, third from left, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. The mural is a rendition of a painting by Lawrence artist Louis Copt, second from left.
Copt and his wife, Phyllis, grew up in Emporia — near the scenic Flint Hills, which have figured largely in his work — and went to the same high school. When they found themselves in the same poetry class at Kansas State Teachers College (now called Emporia State University) they started dating, the Journal-World reported in a story featuring their rural home and studio. Copt started painting full-time in the mid-1980s, and in 2011 was named “Governor’s Artist” by the Kansas Arts Commission — a recognition of outstanding contributions to the arts and culture in Kansas, among many other honors.
According to his artist bio with the Phoenix Gallery, he traveled with the Kansas Geological Survey on a 16-day “re-photographic expedition” through the Grand Canyon as the official artist and has led painting workshops to the Kansas Flint Hills and art travel programs to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Paris. His work, which also includes sculpture and photography, has been featured in numerous exhibits, collections and galleries around the world.
One of his more visible works in Lawrence is a mural of a prairie fire on the south side of Mass Street Music, 1347 Massachusetts St., which was a collaboration with Kansas City muralists Isaac Tapia and Rico Alvarez.
“Mural painting gives me an opportunity to work really large,” Copt told the Journal-World in 2021 as the mural was being created. “It’s fun to collaborate with other artists, and it allows me to share my art with more people. Everybody doesn’t go into a gallery … but they all drive by that wall.”
He considered the prairie fire as part of Kansans’ cultural heritage and said “it’s good to bring that into an urban setting so you stay connected with the land. We see buildings and concrete and asphalt all the time, and we need to stay connected with nature.”
In 2023, Copt painted a large mural called “Kansas Symphony of Seasons” in the rooftop garden at LMH Health. He said the response to the piece, which features wildflowers, rolling hills and a rich blue sky with puffy clouds, was heartwarming.
“For patients to be able to come outside and see the work, it really lifted their spirits,” he said.
photo by: Mike Yoder
A large studio area in the home of Phyllis and Louis Copt serves as a space for both artists and has window views over the rural landscape to the north of their home. Pictured here is Louis’s studio area.