Dear Artworks Trenton Community,
We at Artworks are filled with incredible sadness at the untimely passing of Lehze Flax last week. Over many years, Lehze contributed to and supported the creative community here in Trenton in uncountable ways, both seen and unseen. Lehze was a talented artist and graphic designer whose curiosity, creativity and career accomplishments took her across the country and around the world. When she found herself in New Jersey she discovered Trenton and was enamored of the wonderful people and creative energy here. Lehze quickly became one of Trenton’s most vocal proponents.
Lehze served on the Artworks Board of Trustees from 2014 through 2019, using her energy, ideas and design skills to literally reframe how our organization would present itself to the world. She devoted many hours to strategic planning, fundraising and other important but unglamorous tasks here, while also ensuring through her design talents that even in business and planning communications Artworks put our best foot forward. “We are a visual arts organization, our literature better look visually beautiful!” Lehze would say as she crafted gallery cards, gala programs and a strategic planning document that were truly works of art. Beyond these accomplishments, Lehze simply enjoyed being a part of all the activities and events Artworks produced for the benefit of our city, and she was a familiar presence to attendees at Art All Night, Art All Day, exhibit receptions and many other Artworks activities.
Lehze knew adversity too. At Artworks, she served as Board Chair in 2018, perhaps the single most difficult year in our organization’s long history. But more than her work, or any concrete accomplishment she contributed to Artworks or Trenton at large, and there were many, Lehze was simply a kind, gentle, beautiful soul in our midst. We will miss her hugely.
To celebrate the life of Lehze Flax, I invite you to join her friends at the Artworks main gallery on Saturday, October 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. (Event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/264520232249211) It will be informal. Bring your thoughts and memories (we will be accepting contributions on behalf of Lehze to a local counseling agency TBD). I look forward to seeing you there.
Lauren Otis
Executive Director
(Photo: Jeff Stewart)