Erik John Weisenburger
SOUTH PORTLAND – South Portland, resident Erik John Weisenburger died suddenly on Aug. 6, 2023, in Wonalancet, New Hampshire, from a heart event while biking, a lifelong passion. He was 55 years old. A respected figure in contemporary art, Erik is known for his poetic, precisely crafted images that drew upon his wide-ranging interests in folk art, myths, nature and history. Rich with exquisite detail, his poignant visual narratives connect the past and present, conveying a timeless wonderment and love of the world.
Born on June 10, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, Erik spent childhood years in Santa Monica, with his father, Thomas Weisenburger, a radiation oncologist, mother Diane, a nurse, and three siblings, Gretchen, Elizabeth and Michael. He logged many hours on his bike, delivering newspapers, and riding around Santa Monica and back and forth to the Los Angeles airport to watch jets take off and land. In 1984, the family moved to Santa Barbara. Erik took art classes at San Marcos High School and Santa Barbara City College, informing his parents he was going to be an artist. He never wavered from that decision.
Erik studied at Parsons School of Design in Paris and earned his BFA in sculpture in 1992 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he met his wife, Elizabeth Lee Rogers. In 1997, he earned an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work is in the permanent collections of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, the Racine Art Museum, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States, including Perimeter Gallery, Chicago; Dean Jensen Gallery, Milwaukee; the Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan; the Wright Museum of Art at Beloit College; and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art.
In 2005, Erik and Liz relocated from Chicago to South Portland with their children, Harry and Evelyn. Erik was beloved by many in the South Portland community and was a member of the city’s Open Space Acquisition and Bike-Pedestrian Committees. He is survived by his wife and children, parents, siblings, three nieces and one nephew, who all miss him dearly.
A planned exhibition of Erik’s paintings will open at Dowling Walsh Gallery, in Rockland, Maine, on Friday, September 1, with the support of his family, as a tribute to his life and work. The exhibition will remain open through September 30.
The family welcomes donations in his memory to the Greater Portland chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (GPNEMBA).
Links:
Send questions/comments to the editors.