The art of finance

Alex Merriman ’16 earned a B.A. in studio art with a focus in painting at Lafayette.

By Madeline Marriott ’24

Alex Merriman ’16 gets the best of both worlds.

He spends his days just down the street from College Hill working as an investment adviser at Easton’s Valor Investments and Planning, helping clients make the most of their money. If you chat with him for more than a few minutes, though, you’ll learn about his other passion: painting.

Merriman hadn’t spent much time with a paintbrush in hand until he stumbled into the Williams Visual Arts Center classroom of Ed Kerns, former art professor and pioneer of Lafayette’s art program, completely by chance. At the time, Merriman was taking classes in civil engineering with the hope of becoming an architect, but he realized it was not the direction he wanted to take. His encounter with Kerns put him on a new track.

“Ed Kerns was someone who believed in me not only as a person but as an artist, and that was integral to who I became during my time at Lafayette and after,” Merriman says.

A semester-long project in Kerns’ class tasked Merriman with converting a realistic portrait into an abstract one of the same subject. Merriman, a recovering artistic perfectionist, got hooked on abstract expression and never looked back. He now describes his painting style as “gestural and color field abstraction.”

“That’s what I would say is my biggest lesson from Lafayette and my piece of advice to current students: Utilize your time at Lafayette the way it was meant to be used,” he says. “Talk to everyone and use that network to help you get into the rooms you want to be in—you might not even know yet what your aspirations are.”

Ed Kerns was someone who believed in me not only as a person but as an artist, and that was integral to who I became during my time at Lafayette and after,” Merriman says.

After graduating from Lafayette with a B.A. in studio art and a focus on painting, he completed a studio internship with Kerns, then worked his way up to management positions in warehouse and logistics roles. He eventually followed in his grandfather’s footsteps into the world of sales, working at a captive insurance agency for just over a year. 

“It wasn’t something that came naturally to me, but I realized what I had missed so much in my previous roles was talking with people and getting to know them on a personal level,” he says. 

He then connected with fellow Leopard Matthew Potter ’08, current president of Valor Strategy Group, and Jake Millen, president of Valor Investments and Planning, and found his footing in investment planning. His advising role at Valor allowed him to expand from insurance to helping people with financial planning, which includes investment management, cash flow analysis, and assistance with estate and tax planning.

“There were a few years in the middle of my career when I wasn’t very actively painting, but getting back into that person-to-person work first in insurance and then at Valor really brought my painting itch back,”  he says.

Though they might seem like two distinct worlds, the same desire for connection that feeds his artistic endeavors drives his work with clients at Valor.

“For me to build genuine connections with people at work, I have to tell them who I am, and that includes my art,” he says. “And to put together a good comprehensive financial plan, I have to  figure out who they are and why they want what they want to build it the right way for them.” 

Since 2020, Merriman has been putting his talents to use for a cause close to his heart—cancer research. Merriman was just 6 years old when his grandfather, 47 at the time, passed away after a battle with liver and esophageal cancer. 

When COVID-19 first brought life to a halt, he decided he wanted to put some good into the world. Through a do-it-yourself fundraiser program at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, he began selling paintings and merchandise online, with all proceeds going to cancer charities. After two years of an online campaign, he hosted the first in-person Colors for Cancer fundraiser at the Capitol Blue Cross Connect building at the Promenade shops in Saucon Valley. Merriman’s efforts have raised just under $10,000 over the last three years. 

“It grew into an art show with my art and the work of other local artists, with 100% of ticket sales and 100% of the purchases of donated art going to these charities,” he says. “So far, we’ve partnered with St. Jude’s Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Esophageal Cancer Action Network.” 

Merriman, who recently got married in December 2025, is looking forward to showcasing his work to help others at additional shows this year. The next event will be his fifth in-person showing. Additional details about the event, which will be held at the Promenade shops in Saucon Valley in September, will be shared on Merriman’s website.