ST. CROIX — The art community, the business community, and the St. Croix community in general are mourning the loss of an inspirational talent who never hesitated to give back with the sudden death of artist Jan Mitchell Larsen on Saturday at her home on the South Shore. She was 79.
Jan, a lover of animals who adopted multiple rescue dogs and always fed the stray cat at her studio, made her colorful glass plates and ornaments upstairs in the studio above her two-story shop on Company Street in Christiansted that she ran with her husband, Steffen Larsen.
When Jan came home from work on Saturday, Steffen said she felt tired and took a nap. He said she never woke up, adding that her death was shocking because she was not suffering from any illness.
“None of us were on any kind of medication, so it could only have been a massive heart attack,” he said.
Steffen, who married Jan in 1997, reflected on her connection with the community.
“I don't know a single person that had anything negative to say about Jan,” he said. “She was respected and beloved by anybody who met her or had any dealings with her.”
Steffen, who is originally from Denmark, recalled meeting Jan on island after the two got set up by friends who held a party specifically to introduce them to each other.
“From that day on until Saturday when she died, we were together every day,” he said.
When he met Jan, Steffen said she was already making sculptures and glass artwork. He said he became interested in the technical part of the business, noting the two purchased the historic building on Company Street that houses Mitchell Larsen Studio and opened the store in 2001 following renovations.
“It took about a year to make it into the studio that we have been using as a business ever since, and that has given us bread and butter,” he said. “And at the same time, we built our home out on the South Shore.”
While Steffen’s photographs of iconic St. Croix landscapes, structures, and buildings can be purchased from Mitchell Larsen Studio, the shop is also filled with Jan’s glass creations. She used glass to make various size plates, ornaments, picture frames, clocks, cutting boards, napkin rings, and more. All her pieces feature bright colors and island themes, including flora, fauna, and cultural images like mocko jumbies.
Jan designed and crafted ornaments for the National Christmas Tree at the White House under former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. She was inducted into the Virgin Islands Hall of Fame in 2007. Steffen said the honor would have been bestowed upon Jan in recognition of her artwork as well as for the contributions she made giving back to the community. He noted that she shared her passion for making glass ornaments with school students, donated glass trophies to be handed out at community cook-offs, raised funds to support Ukraine, and rescued stray dogs from the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center.
“She never said no to someone who came in and wanted a handout,” he said.
Originally from Atlantic City, New Jersey, Jan majored in sculpture and design at the Philadelphia College of Art. Her sculptures are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian, the Thompson Museum in Kentucky, and the National Guard Armory on St. Croix. She made the “Lady of Justice” life-sized bronze sculpture at the entrance of the Almeric L. Christian Federal Building and Courthouse on St. Croix. She sculpted the images of the namesakes at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veterans Memorial Park on St. Thomas and Verne I. Richards Veterans Memorial Park on St. Croix.
Bernadette Richards, daughter of Verne Richards (deceased), recalled the dedication Jan put into her work while sculpting the bust that has sat in the veterans memorial park in Frederiksted since 2009.
“She showed a great deal of care in terms of ensuring that the bust truly identified my father,” Bernadette said.
Instead of simply basing the sculpture off a photograph, Bernadette said Jan asked if there were any siblings who looked like their father. She said her brother Theron Richards (deceased) ended up being Jan’s model during multiple trips to her home studio.
“She even actually used some features from him to incorporate into the bust, and the outcome was beyond expectation,” Bernadette said. “She was just meticulous in terms as to what she did and how she did it.”
Bernadette, who recently purchased one of Jan’s creations during a trip on island from her home in North Carolina, said her death is a great loss.
“I think she’s one of a kind,” she said, adding that Jan’s artwork is “awesome.”
Mary Hayden Carr, an employee of Mitchell Larsen Studio, worked with Jan for the past 24 years. In addition to doing the accounting and making sales, Mary helped Jan make her glass creations after learning the trade throughout the years.
“It was wonderful,” she said about working alongside Jan in the studio. “It wasn’t a job. We loved it. Every day felt like Christmas. When you opened the kiln, it was a joy. And I’m really going to miss her.”
Mary described Jan as a “funny, loving, and caring” person. She said Jan was her surrogate mother.
“She was a matriarch of the island,” Mary said. “She loved it here, and she was so happy.”
Barbara Gelardi, an artist who sells her paintings and prints from her studio located down the street from Mitchell Larsen Studio in the courtyard at Apothecary Hall, said Jan helped her break into the local art scene when she moved to the island 27 years ago by providing her space in Mitchell Larsen Studio to exhibit her work. She said Jan was always welcoming to new talent on the island.
“She was just a lovely lady,” Barbara said. “She was down-to-earth. She was a worker and a craftsman.”
Dee Ullrich, who became friends with Jan in 1992, is a member of Krewe de Croix, a nonprofit organization that organizes annual community events, including the Krewe de Barkus Dog Parade, the Mardi Croix Parade, and a variety of cook-offs that have been held throughout the years. Jan made glass trophies that Krewe de Croix presented to the top finishers at each event.
“She was special,” Dee said about Jan. “She was so community minded. She helped the Krewe out every single year. She did every one of our trophies every year.”
Val Stiles, who is also a member of Krewe de Croix, said Jan was a staple of the community.
“It’s a great loss to the island,” she said.
While Krewe de Croix paid a minimal fee for the trophies each year, Dee said Jan always donated all the trophies handed out during the Krewe de Barkus Dog Parade.
“She was always there for us,” Dee said.
Jan, who rescued numerous dogs from the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, even participated in the dog parade.
“One year she actually won her own trophy back with one of her little dogs, which was pretty fun,” Dee said.
When Steffen married Jan, he said she had two dogs. He said they could not say no when it came to rescuing strays, so they slowly adopted more dogs to have a total of 10.
Barbara said Jan’s legacy includes her contributions to nonprofits, her impact on the art community, and her role in empowering women to start their own businesses. She said Jan made it easier for other women to feel like they could make a living from their artwork.
“She did it for me,” Barbara said. “She showed me that it’s possible.”
Artist Therese Trudeau, of Maufé Gallery and Crucian Gold, said Jan was instrumental in highlighting St. Croix’s rich arts community, noting that Jan was an integral part of the Art Thursday walk events that have been part of Christiansted town for more than 20 years.
“Not only was she known for her stained-glass work, but she was the only bronze sculptor in St. Croix when she moved here,” she said. “Her sculptures in bronze and her colorful glasswork pieces will be fond remembrances of her creative work. Jan will surely be missed as an artist and a part of our St. Croix community.”
Jan’s glass creations will continue to be on display and for sale at Mitchell Larsen Studio as Steffen and Mary plan to keep the doors open.
“There’s a number of things that we probably cannot do that only Jan did as part of the process, but there’s a lot of things that Mary can do, so we will carry on with that, at least for the next season,” Steffen said.
Mitchell Larsen Studio will be closed for the next week. It will reopen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, September 17, which would have been Jan’s 80th birthday. It will remain open during regular hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
Mary said the reopening of the studio next Tuesday will provide an opportunity for those who knew Jan to stop by and share their memories.
“You could just come in to talk about Jan, and you could look around and see the beautiful things she has made,” Mary said.
