Lorelei Esser (1949-2020)

Lorelei Esser: Artist and Cultural Activist

Smiling woman holds a poster titled Pieces of Dreams, the Art of Lorelei Esser

Lorelei Esser, October 2, 1949, and May 29, 2020, was a lifelong artist, creator, and free spirit from Gainesville, Florida. She studied art in the Netherlands, where she began to weave natural and found materials into her creations. This practice defined her work, which was featured in galleries and museums. She was a designer for the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, Florida, as well as a makeup artist and prop master for movies and advertisements. She loved nature and traveling the world, and she made fantastic protest signs for the many marches and rallies she participated in. Her prolific doodles and journal entries are included in her blog, now maintained by her friends.

Lorelei died of pancreatic cancer in 2020, but not before designing her own memorial service right down to the music, champagne, fancy sandwiches, and ice cream. She was laid to rest beside old friends in the green cemetery at Prairie Creek Conservation area in Gainesville.

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