St Louis Park, MN - Ari Munzner of Minneapolis, age 95, passed away at home on Aug 1, 2025. The universe has expanded with a new star in the cosmos.

He was born January 9, 1930 in Mannheim, Germany. He and his family escaped Nazi Germany in 1937, spending two years in Baghdad, Iraq. In 1939 he came to the United States, where he spent two years in New York City and then lived in Alton, NY from 1941 to 1948. He attended Syracuse University (BFA 1953) and Cranbrook Academy of Art (MFA 1955), moving to Minneapolis in 1955. He taught at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design from 1955 to 1993, and continued to mentor MFA students for many more years before re-retiring in 2005.

Ari's artwork investigates the relationship of art, science, and mythology through the mystery of the microcosm and the macrocosm. He was represented by the Dolly Fiterman Gallery for many years, and was a member of the Vine Arts Center. After a fire destroyed his studio in the Ivy Building in 2020, he moved to a new studio in the California Building.

Ari was preceded in death by his wife Joan, his parents Ralph and Bertha (Schliferowitsch), and his brother Peter. Ari is survived by his daughter Naomi (Sheila Oehrlein) of Minneapolis, his daughter Tamara of Vancouver BC, and his sister-in-law Fay Cumber of St. Louis Park.

Ari and Joan lived in Uptown Minneapolis for decades, and moved to the Sholom West campus in St Louis Park in 2013. We thank the entire Sholom community, staff, and caregivers as well as private caregivers for their kind and thoughtful support and care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to the Aribert and Joan Munzner Scholarship Fund at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

A gathering for friends, former colleagues and students, and all in the communities who were connected with him to celebrate his life will be held this weekend on Saturday Aug. 9 from 2-4pm, with program at 3pm, in Studio 118 of the California Building (2205 California Street NE, Minneapolis). A best-effort attempt will be made to allow remote attendence via Zoom (but no guarantees), at https://tinyurl.com/AriMunznerCelebration