Dear NIAD Community,
This week, we share with a heavy heart the news of Erika Martinez’s passing.
A NIAD artist for 17 years, Erika was a pillar of NIAD’s community, and a treasure to her family, to whom we extend our deep condolences. Her many friends remember her as kind, loving, fierce in her joy and inimitable style, and intensely dedicated to her relationships, as well as her work as an artist.
“Her mischievous streak was enviable”; “Her friendships remain so special and everlasting”; “I remember her hellos in the morning where she would say, ‘Hey, it’s me!’—and indeed it was.” These are just a few of the memories NIAD’s community has shared, and will continue to share, in a video portrait produced in NIAD’s Virtual Studio and a mural wall in our 23rd Street Studios.
We invite you to join us in celebrating Erika’s life. For more information on memorial services next week, or to express your support for Erika’s family, just reach out.
Amanda Eicher