Liudas Vilimas

Liudas Vilimas (September 15, 1912 in Kušlėnai, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) – August 22, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio) was a Lithuanian painter. His works included book illustrations, theatrical decorations, paintings, postal stamps, window showcases. His earlier works are expressionist, while later have features of abstractionism.^[1] While in Lithuania, he favored watercolors later transitioning to oil paintings and figure compositions.^[2]

In 1935, he graduated from Kaunas School of Arts. In 1938 he continued his studies in the Academy of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria.^[1][3] In 1940, he helped to establish Panevėžys Drama Theatre and was its chief decorator. After moving to Vilnius, he lectured at Vilnius Academy of Art^[3] and became director of Museum of Red Terror, which collected evidence of Soviet persecutions during the first Soviet occupation of Lithuania.^[4] To avoid retaliation, he retreated to Germany ahead of the advancing Red Army in 1944.^[3] He helped Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas establish a Lithuanian art institute in Freiburg im Breisgau,^[2] and his works were featured at an art exhibit in the United States in 1948.^[5] In 1949, he immigrated to the United States,^[3] where he was involved in the Lithuanian emigrant community.^[6] He worked as the display designer for H. & S. Pogue Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.^[7] He died in Cleveland, Ohio, 1966.^[1]