Fermin Hernandez

1949 - 2015

Hernandez, Fermin



On May 13th, 2015, Albuquerque lost a long-standing fixture of New Mexico's art world. Fermin Hernandez, gallery owner and award winning artist, passed from injuries sustained in a car accident on May 2nd. He was both a master screen printer and digital artist.



Born in November of 1949, the first of ten children, he grew up in a large Catholic family in St. Joseph, Missouri. By necessity he learned hard work at an early age and left home at 18 to pursue his own destiny. He worked several jobs throughout the Midwest and Colorado. In Iowa, he met and married his first wife, Sandra Jo Hadley, and soon fathered a family of four: First, Lisa, followed by Lori, Sara, and Rudy.



He settled in Denver where he furthered his education studying art. With the help of his art instructor Mel Carter, he found that his natural sensitivity could combine with his other talents to enhance the world of others through his art.



As his skill increased to meet his talent, Fermin sought a venue for his creations. He was initially attracted to New Mexico as a place known to have rich market for art, but soon found himself captivated by much more. The shadows and light seemed to cut sharper here more than in any of his previous homes. He moved to New Mexico in 1985. He would work from photographs, using images he shot. From the images he would create a master drawing, from this master, he would draft plans for a finished piece that would include up to 40 different stencils for each shade and hue. Some of his later works required days of agonizing planning to create color strategies for images only in his mind. The finished works were astounding. By the time of his passing, he left an absolutely masterful legacy with his work selling to collectors worldwide.



He had a lifelong passion for travel and from each trip and adventure he brought back images that would be transformed into more artwork.



Fermin developed another passion in Albuquerque that added further drama to his work. He met Dr. Emily Salazar in 1985 and their friendship began. She was immediately enamored with his work and he was immediately enamored with her. Several years later, they began a romatic relationship and in 1992 they were married in Greece. Dr. Salazar already had a son, Ehren. The young boy looked up to Fermin very much and was eager to learn from him. Fermin decided to teach Ehren what he could about art. By the age of eight Ehren was screening his own works under the wise supervision of his "Pop."



Fermin's art work continued to develop a following, and soon he was able to start his own gallery in Old Town. He owned galleries for over 25 years, and has been a part of the personality of the renowned art market there since his first opening.

He built a following spanning the world. His architectural shadowscapes have been commissioned to grace wine labels and magazines. He was sought out for charitable contributions, donating or sometimes even creating custom works for the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the Congressional Medal of Honor Award, and many others. The third season of the hit television show Breaking Bad is inundated with Fermin's early works. Through entries to juried exhibitions, he has won countless awards. He also served as a juror at many such shows. In recent years, his legacy led to a one man show in his home state of Missouri and recent speaking engagement and career retrospective at Brigham Young University Idaho. Sadly, with his passing the doors of Hernandez Fine Art have been closed. His artwork will continue to be displayed at the Sumner & Dene gallery in downtown Albuquerque.



He left a proud artistic legacy, but more importantly he was able to forge honest friendships and relationships with his children, frequently calling to offer live commentary on the performance of his cherished Denver Broncos. He grew closer to his widespread family with it's origins in the midwest, even showcasing the creations of his mother Margaret and father Fermin as well as works by talented siblings Jerome, Theresa and Mary Helen at his gallery. His protege Ehren continues artistic endeavors to this day, inspired by Fermin's relentless creativity.



Fermin is survived by his children, Lisa Hernandez Krehbiel (Mark) of Ankeny, Iowa, Lori Hernandez Young ( Kevin) of Littleton, Colo., Sara Hernandez Cockrum (Cliff) of Grimes, Iowa, and Fermin Rudolfo Hernandez (Vickie) of Iowa Falls, Iowa; his parents, Fermin and Margaret Hernandez of St. Joseph; his siblings, Joseph Michael Hernandez (Patricia), Theresa Hernandez-White (Cecil), Tom Hernandez, Anita Garvey (Rick), Mary Helen Burgess (Jerry), Jerome Hernandez ( Katherine), Anthony Hernandez ( Debra), Steven Hernandez ( Mona) , James Hernandez ( Laurie); his aunt, Barbara Montemayor; great-aunt, Betty Boyer (Everett); his former second wife, Emily Salazar; his stepson, Ehren Salazar; grandchildren, Tanner, Kaylee, Sam, Erika, Jaymi, Bridget, Caden, and Cruz; his two great- grandchildren; as well as several nephews, nieces and cousins. In addition, his loss is felt by countless friends he met through his life and travels.



We ask any and all wishing to pay respect to the man, his family, and his work at Sumner & Dene Gallery on July 25th, 2015 as we celebrate his life and inaugurate the new home for his artistic legacy from 4 - 7 PM with a dedication at 6 PM.