Abstract mixed-media painter Mary Lovelace O’Neal passed away this past Sunday at 84. Her monumental canvases and inventive “lampblack” works are a testament to both her artistic talent and her role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
The Neue Galerie’s recent merger with The Met Museum highlights the ever-evolving landscape of art institutions, while NADA New York returned with a bold exhibition that includes “abstracted horniness.”
Mary Lovelace O’Neal was not only an artist but also a civil rights luminary. She worked alongside figures such as Stokely Carmichael and Jacob Lawrence during the height of racial segregation.
At Lehman College Art Gallery, over thirty undergraduate and graduate artists showcased their work in the 2026 Thesis Exhibition, reflecting a broad spectrum of conceptual inquiry and material experimentation.
The week ahead offers more to explore: Michelle Millar Fisher is set to head Cooper Hewitt as Chief Curator. Getty has granted $1.8 million for Black visual art archives, while new works from Todd Gray continue to challenge viewers with layered photographic installations that entice further exploration.







