Liora Beer, 1/4/53 – 3/2/18
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the sad news of the loss of MALC Steering Committee member, Liora Beer. She was a dear friend to me and to so, so many others. Liora was a staunch advocate for artists of all disciplines. She was an accomplished artist who worked in many media: painting, sculpture, drawing, metals/jewelry, etc.
Her work supporting fellow artists spanned over twenty years. She was an effective advocate for artists, connecting them to much-needed resources when she worked at the City of Boston. She served on the Artists Foundation Advisory Board and Board, and was a Co-Founder and a key member of the MALC Steering Committee. Lastly, and most importantly to her, was her role as the Founder and Executive Director of Artmorpheus and the Fairmount Innovation Lab.
I have included the email sent out by the Artmorpheus/Fairmount Innovation Lab.
We must all work together to ensure her legacy thrives and grows.
Until soon Liora….
x Kathleen Bitetti
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The Passing of Liora Beer, Founder & Executive Director of Artmorpheus/Fairmount Innovation Lab
Dear Friends of Artmorpheus and the Fairmount Innovation Lab,
It is with inexpressible sadness that we share that our marvelous and courageous leader, Liora Beer, has passed away after a long illness.
Liora founded Artmorpheus in 2009 to provide practicing artists of all disciplines with workshops, one-on-one technical assistance, and the resources they need to build sustainable careers. In the fall of 2015, Liora launched what has become Artmorpheus’ largest program, the Fairmount Innovation Lab (FIL), a vibrant, cross-disciplinary incubator and hub located in Uphams Corner, Dorchester that supports underrepresented artists and creative and social entrepreneurs along the Fairmount Cultural Corridor.
We will deeply miss Liora’s inspiring, creative passion. She had an unparalleled gift for seeing possibilities for effecting transformative change where others could not, and then making those possibilities a reality.
We are very fortunate that Artmorpheus board member Marea Parker has agreed to step in to serve as acting Executive Director. Marea is Clinical Instructor and Staff Attorney at Harvard Law School. She, together with her fellow board members, bring an impressive range of experience and skills to guide Artmorpheus through this transition, as well as to continue the momentum during this exciting period of growth for the organization, particularly at FIL. Marea will be Artmorpheus’ primary point of contact and can be reached at parker@artmorpheus.org.
We are resolved to identify the right leader to continue Liora’s trailblazing work and take the organization to the next level. Over the next several months, Artmorpheus will be conducting a thorough search for a permanent Executive Director. We will share the job announcement shortly, and will be reaching out to partners, colleagues, and members of the community for advice and perspectives to identify outstanding candidates.
We will be holding an event at a date to be announced soon, that celebrates Liora’s work and her unique vision for sustaining vibrant communities through supporting the local arts and innovation economy. In the meantime, many have asked how they can express their condolences. In lieu of flowers, Liora’s family asks that those wishing to do so make a donation to Artmorpheus at www.artmorpheus.org. Thank you for your continuing support of this work which meant so much to Liora.
Yours sincerely,
Jordan M. Biggers
Artmorpheus Board President