In Memoriam: NIAD artist Erika Martinez

Erika Martinez, seated on the floor in stylish grey boots and black leather jacket, surrounded by friends in the NIAD studio, laughing.

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. 

Erika Martinez, “Untitled (F0038)”
Erika Martinez, “Untitled (D0577)”
Erika Martinez, “Untitled (D8210)”

“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. 

NIAD artists Erika Martinez and Maria Radilla.
Erika Martinez in the NIAD studio.
L to R: NIAD artists Shantae Robinson, Erika Martinez and Jonathan Velazquez in the NIAD kitchen.

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