 "A BALANCED APPROACH" will be for sale at the auction September 23, 2016 at the Science Museum Oklahoma.
 A painting unveiled Tuesday at the state Capitol depicts him on his famous space flight to that distant body. The work of art by Mike Wimmer will hang in the House lobby.  Col. Childers was the recipient of the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action on 22 September 1943, at Oliveto, Italy. Although 2d Lt. Childers previously had just suffered a fractured instep he, with 8 enlisted men, advanced up a hill toward enemy machinegun nests. The group advanced to a rock wall overlooking a cornfield and 2d Lt. Childers ordered a base of fire laid across the field so that he could advance. When he was fired upon by 2 enemy snipers from a nearby house he killed both of them. He moved behind the machinegun nests and killed all occupants of the nearer one. He continued toward the second one and threw rocks into it. When the 2 occupants of the nest raised up, he shot 1. The other was killed by 1 of the 8 enlisted men. 2d Lt. Childers continued his advance toward a house farther up the hill and, single-handed, captured an enemy mortarobserver. The exceptional leadership, initiative, calmness under fire and conspicuous gallantry displayed by 2d Lt. Childers were an inspiration to his men.[1] See various stories about the dedication below.
 Mike Wimmer: King of HeartsThe King of Hearts playing card has an intriguing, even mysterious image. People have long noticed the King of Hearts’ curious pose. It shows the king holding a sword behind his head. Or is he stabbing himself? Because of his pose the card has been called the suicide king. In tarot, lore the King of Hearts was also known as the King of Chalices.
I chose to portray the King of Hearts as Uncle Sam pouring out the valuable blood of his children and symbolically committing suicide with his sword. America in its quest to conquer the world through globalism and consumerism all too casually throws away its own future by pouring out the precious blood of our young men and women for political expediency; or in the case of these last 12 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the maniacal belief that America could impose its brand of cultural superiority, in the guise of democracy, on a people that have fought with each other for the past 3000 years; a crazy idea, which perfectly symbolizes the original King of Hearts, “ King Charles VII of France”, who was known to go mad. I, like many, have had to witness the effects of such thinking within my own family. My nephew John David was a bright young man who could not attain a college education because his family, like so many others in America, could not afford the escalating costs of higher education. John, who was always a sweet child, with no athletic ability, lost himself in playing video games and wanted to learn computer programming. He saw the military as his only chance to attain his college dreams and enlisted. His intelligence was quickly noticed, where he was chosen for training and later served in Afghanistan as a computer and intelligence analyst for target acquisition. The constant strain of life and death choices and the introduction to a drug culture within the military eventually led him to his emotional breakdown. After returning stateside and enrolling into college he found himself struggling with addiction and an inability to concentrate. John eventually dropped out of college where he found himself ill-prepared to make it on his own, so he moved in with his parents. One day after a small fender-bender he found himself at his wits end and took a gun and locked himself in his room and shot himself in the head. A terrible tragedy. Another statistic. Another life lost for a war that brought nothing of value to the United States at an estimated cost of some $3,000,000,000,000.00 (3 trillion dollars). Trillions that enriched the Corporations of war and energy, but with none left over to help the healing of our soldiers. So my “King of Hearts” has become the “King of Broken Hearts” and serves as a visual metaphor on a game that has only losers.   FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chancellor G. David Gearhart’s official portrait was unveiled on Friday, March 6, in Old Main alongside those of other past University of Arkansas presidents and chancellors. Speakers at the ceremony included ASG President Daniel McFarland, Staff Senate Chair Trish Watkins and Faculty Senate Chair John Rupe. Gearhart’s portrait was painted by Mike Wimmer, an award-winning professional artist from Edmond, Oklahoma. Wimmer has produced artwork for some of the largest corporations in the world and has illustrated 14 children’s books. He currently serves as the chair of the School of Visual Arts in the Petree College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma City University. He also painted the official portrait of University of Arkansas Chancellor emeritus John A. White. Chancellor G. David Gearhart and his wife, Jane Gearhart, unveil the official portrait of the chancellor in Old Main.The portrait can be found on the second floor of Old Main and is open to the public for viewing. CONTACTSJennifer Holland, director of development communications University Relations 479-575-7346, jholland@uark.edu  Enlarge 1 / 1 OKLAHOMA CITY -A portrait of Texas oil magnate and Oklahoma State University megabooster Boone Pickens was unveiled at the Oklahoma state Capitol Thursday. State officials and legislators joined Pickens and OSU officials and alumni for Thursday's unveiling in the Governor's Blue Room. Governor Mary Fallin says the honor is "probably long past-due" for someone who exemplifies the spirit of Oklahoma. "Few people impact a university and state to the enormity of Boone Pickens," Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis said. "People point to Boone's record-setting, transformative donations as the capstone of his impact. While one cannot underestimate that impact, I can tell you we also immensely benefit from his brilliance as a visionary and inspirational leader." Pickens grew up in Holdenville and graduated from OSU when it was Oklahoma A&M. He's donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the university and other causes and has pledged to donate at least half of his fortune to charitable organizations. "I am humbled today by the kind gesture to have a portrait of me displayed in the State Capitol of my home state. Everywhere I have traveled around the world I tell anyone who will listen I am from Holdenville Okla., and darn proud of it. I have received many honors, but this one is indeed truly special to me," said Boone Pickens. Oklahoma artist Mike Wimmer, who painted the portrait, says Pickens' name and works will outlive his painting. 
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AuthorMike Wimmer is a portrait artist Living, Teaching and Painting in Savannah, Georgia Archives
July 2022
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