Tim Meier

Tim Meier, age 92, died peacefully on March 23, 2022. Born on November 29, 1929, Tim's art began as a small child under two Italian countesses who trained with Maria Montessori. He attended the Saturday school for children at the Art Institute for years, culminating in a B.A. and a MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. At the time, the Art Institute did not offer academic courses. He earned his credits at the U of Chicago, DePaul and Northwestern, meeting his future wife Helen in an anthropology course. Helen and Tim married in 1954 near the Army base at Ft. Belvoir. A kind clerk recognized Tim was an artist and assigned him to serve in France. The couple lived in northeastern France for two years while Tim drafted construction drawings for NATO military bases. Popular at the base for creating pictures and portraits of officers, he won barrels of beer for best holiday decorations in the barracks. Their son William Frank Meier (d. 2004) was born in France.Part of the mid-century modern period, Tim was an innovator, known for his imagination and vitality. Tim and Helen travelled, selling paintings at art fairs, including the then-new Old Town Art Fair. Often winning major local prizes, Tim was well-known by artists of the period. Tim also painted in Key West, FL, where his works were very popular. From 1950-1975 he created over 2500 oil paintings. He sold paintings and other work to private and commercial collectors in all 50 states, and over 70 countries. Some of Tim's works are displayed at www.timmeierartist.com.In 2006, Tim and Helen founded the Meier Charitable Foundation for the Arts, granting achievement awards to Chicago area art professionals in mid-career. The Foundation has made over 50 awards thus far and will continue under the Helen's leadership. Tim is survived by his beloved wife Helen, sister Margo Lynn (Meier) Viscusi, niece Cleopatra and nephew Gregory, and grand-nephews and -nieces.Arrangements were private.