Daniel Ernest Oppenheimer

Dan Oppenheimer, a lifelong Memphian and true believer in the spirit of the city, was born in Memphis on August 18, 1948. A serial arts entrepreneur and inventor, over decades Dan worked to beautify and enrich the community of Memphis.
Dan grew up attending Idlewild Presbyterian Church. As a boy, he spent every Sunday sitting in the pews and staring up at the beautiful stained glass windows. It was there that Dan became fascinated with stained glass-the art form that would shape his life. A curious child, he never wanted to take a nap. As he put it, he "didn't want to miss anything."
In 1975, Dan founded Rainbow Studio on Cooper Avenue in Midtown. "The Rainbow name just came to me," he once said. "Think: everything under the rainbow." What began as a stained glass studio soon expanded to include other decorative building products. Dan developed a photographic technique for etching artistic designs into stainless steel, glass, and stone. Later, when Binswanger Glass of Memphis secured the contract to inscribe the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., they used Dan's process to etch more than 57,000 names-a contribution to American civic life of which he was immensely proud.
Dan was a pioneer in the revitalization of downtown Memphis. In 1991, when most storefronts along South Main stood empty, he purchased 387 South Main to serve as the new home for Rainbow Studio. He became a leading advocate for rebuilding Memphis's trolley infrastructure, and his efforts led directly to the construction of the Main Street trolley line. His love of Memphis extended beyond its streets-he also launched RadioMemphis, a satellite radio broadcast that brought the city's sound and spirit to listeners around the world.
In 1997, Dan relocated Rainbow to 400 South Front Street, where it remains today alongside its sister companies-most notably the Jack Robinson Archive and Gallery. The building at Front and Huling stands as a symbol of Dan's creative legacy. It has welcomed countless artists and craftspeople, and served as a workshop or gallery for projects that helped beautify Memphis, the Mid-South, and beyond. The gallery hosted "The Speakeasy," a weekly performance art showcase curated by Ekundayo Bandele, which helped lay the groundwork for the founding of Hattiloo Theatre.
The space was also home to Scale Models Unlimited (SMU), a partnership between Dan and Kamran Kiani that produced exquisitely detailed architectural models and miniatures for clients including Tokyo Disneyland, Westinghouse, and others worldwide. Like Rainbow, SMU reflected Dan's lifelong dedication to craftsmanship and visual storytelling-whether through stained glass, etched metal, or models brought to life with imagination and remarkable craftsmanship.
Among Dan's proudest collaborations were the stained-glass windows designed by his friend and artist Jack Robinson, and built by Rainbow for the Danny Thomas Chapel at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Over the decades, Rainbow Studio also designed, built, and restored windows for churches and places of worship across the Mid-South. These works continue to bring spiritual beauty to congregations every week-a quiet but enduring legacy.
For Dan, business was an outlet for creative expression and collaboration. He thrived among the artists, craftspeople, and creatives who brought his businesses to life, at times saying his true gift was spotting talent and setting it loose. Colleagues like Susie, Suzy, Robert, Ray, Percy, Ray Jr., David, Cynthia, Larry, Bruce, and many others made his work deeply joyful and fulfilling.
Dan never wanted to retire. On weekends, his greatest joy was cooking his "famous eggs" for his family's breakfast, then taking everyone sailing on Horseshoe Lake in Arkansas. With characteristic wit, he joked he'd name his boat "The Jobsite," so if he left work early to go sailing, his employees could say, "He's out on the Jobsite."
Dan Oppenheimer died peacefully at home in the early hours of Friday, March 28. In death, he is reunited with his parents, Ernest and Maxine, and his younger brother, Phillip. He is survived by his wife, Susan; his children, Emily and Haiz; their mother, Hunter; his daughter-in-law, Maggie (wife of Haiz); his beloved grandson, Henry; and a wide community of friends, family, and loved ones.
A funeral service will be held at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. A brief reception will follow the service. Afterward, friends and family are welcome to stop by 400 South Front Street for a visit to Dan's creative home.
Previous Events
Visitation
APR 12. 10:00 AM (CT)
Grace St. Lukes's Episcopal Church
1720 Peabody Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Funeral Service
APR 12. 11:00 AM (CT)
Grace St. Lukes's Episcopal Church
1720 Peabody Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104 To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Daniel, please visit our Tree Store.