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Paul Olsen Paul Olsen was born June 27, 1924 in West Branch, Iowa, but lived most of his childhood in Yankton, South Dakota. Without an art program in Yankton he decided to take the Great Northern train and then a streetcar trolley to enroll at the Minneapolis School of Art (now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design [MCAD]) in 1944. He graduated in 1948 and married a fellow art student, Donna Brown, in 1949. They had two children, Mia and Kirk. After graduation he was offered a faculty position at the art school. Olsen said, "I was so honored and thrilled that I was invited to teach right out of school."

As an artist Olsen's paintings and drawings were his media of choice. He primarily painted in oils. He never embraced modern trends in art, but painted local scenes and landscapes from the St. Paul skyline to the skies and forests of the North Shore of Lake Superior. He followed in the traditions of great European artists. However, he jokingly referred to his style as "Neo-passe". In 1958, he was awarded a one year scholarship to paint in Europe and study with the well-known German expressionist painter Oskar Kokoschka. This time produced a rich period of artistic expression for him, for example, as he stood and painted the Duomo Cathedral in Florence, Italy, as well as painting the canals and edifices of Amsterdam, Holland, using rich color and expression.

Olsen's equal skill and passion was teaching the students of MCAD. As a first year drawing teacher he taught drawing with patience and clarity, which to some seemed an “unteachable” subject. He used hundreds of demonstration drawings of the human form or the science of perspective to guide his students to confidence and success. He considered himself a drawing coach rather than teacher. His humor and compassion made him a well-loved teacher. Olsen said, "Every day I couldn't wait to get back to school and teach."

During Olsen’s forty years at MCAD he was awarded an honorary Bachelors and Masters of Fine Arts and was the head of the Visual Studies Program. His art was exhibited locally and nationally including the Walker Art Center, St. John's University, the Indianapolis Art Museum, Groveland Gallery, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. In addition his paintings are owned by several selected collections including Pillsbury, General Mills, Honeywell, the Minnesota Historical Society, Twin City Federal and many more.