Gay Larson

Founder of Oklahoma Heart Gallery

Tulsan Gay Larson is the mother of five, including two she adopted as teenagers. She is a life-long photographer and the Founder of the Oklahoma Heart Gallery. She spent most of her life as a Media Account Executive, including 24 years with Tulsa’s KTUL-TV.

The original Waiting Child Heart Gallery began in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ms. Larson learned about it at a photography workshop in 2002. Having adopted two children through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), she was so captivated by the project that she enlisted DHS and photographers to create the second volunteer Heart Gallery in the nation.

This gallery consisted of 50 children available for adoption with professional portraits by the Heart Gallery photographers. At first, the portraits were placed on easels and given to DHS to feature wherever they could raise awareness of the need for adoptive homes. Today there are 80 Heart Galleries across the United States.

In 2014 the Oklahoma Heart Gallery became a 501(c)3. In 2016 we expanded the Oklahoma Heart Gallery with videography, an upgraded website, social media, and five gallery-style displays that travel throughout Oklahoma.

Gay Larson retired as Executive Director in 2021 but will continue to be a key player of Oklahoma Heart Gallery as a Board Member, volunteer photographer, and helping in any other way she can.  She has already booked her trip to Paris and plans on spending many hours catching up with her kids and grandchildren.

Mary Beth Ede

President