Tom Lloyd at Studio Museum in Harlem

Tom Lloyd (1929-1996) was an artist, activist and community organizer whose innovative installations fused light, technology and form. In this exhibition, Lloyd’s early light sculptures—formed from Christmas tree bulbs, car-tail-light lenses and electronic components—are paired for the first time with archival materials documenting his activism (including his role in the Art Workers’ Coalition) and his founding of the Store Front Museum in Jamaica, Queens. The show presents his works on paper, reliefs and major light-sculpture installations, reconstructed and conserved for this presentation. The installation space evokes the architected vault of a chapel and highlights how Lloyd’s work reflected his Black community and cultural moment.