In March 1, Krista Thompson will present, "The Art of Black Study: Tom Lloyd and the Art Workers' Coalition," the first lecture in the Spring installment of our lecture series "Light in Theory & Practice."

Thompson was recently awarded The Dedalus Foundation’s 2024 Senior Fellowship for her forthcoming book "Refracting Light: Tom Lloyd and the Effect of Art Historical Disregard." Thompson’s project centers on Tom Lloyd, an African American artist who was among a wave of artists working with light and electronic technologies in the 1960s. Lloyd contributed to Minimalist and electronic art exhibitions throughout the mid 1960s-1970s, was involved with the avant-garde Howard Wise gallery in New York, and was a founding member of the activist group, the Art Workers’ Coalition (AWC) (1969-1971). 

Thompson’s book will explore Lloyd’s artistic practice and his visibility in the art world in New York and seek to understand why the artist, until recently, has been largely disregarded from the art historical record.