Alex Dahlberg
Alex Dahlberg with guitar

Alex Dahlberg

Musician · Storyteller · Survivor

The People's Artist 2026

Vote for Alex

Alex is competing to appear in Artforum Magazine, win $25,000, and display his work at The Art of Elysium's Salon. Cast a free vote every day!

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Voting ends May 14, 2026 at 7PM PDT

"There's more to the picture than meets the eye"
— Neil Young, tattooed on Alex's forearm
Alex Dahlberg playing guitar in black and white, wearing a Fender shirt

More Than Music

At 20, Alex Dahlberg's life changed forever when encephalitis — inflammation of the brain caused by the Epstein-Barr virus — put him in a coma for a month. He woke up unable to remember his own name.

But through it all, music never left him. Even when he couldn't remember his parents, he could play Everlong by the Foo Fighters on a hospital guitar tuned to drop D.

Read the full story

Off the Stage

When he's not making music, you'll find Alex on the water. An avid fisherman, he spends his downtime chasing largemouth bass — and even the occasional shark. It's a passion that keeps him grounded and connected to the outdoors.

Patient, focused, and completely at peace — it's another side of Alex that most people don't see.

Alex holding a largemouth bass on a sunny dayAlex proudly showing off a big bass catchAlex holding a small shark he caught while fishing