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Artist Lorraine O’Grady ’55 spent a week in residence at Wellesley this year, working closely with students. “As much as she has taught us, Lorraine told me that her priority was to continue learning — to hear from thinkers of all ages,” said Amanda Gilvin, curator of O’Grady’s “both/and” show at the Davis Museum.

Wellesley-led team of astronomers discovered the Firefly Sparkle galaxy, named for its dazzling appearance. “This looks like fireflies gleaming in a dark night sky,” said astronomer Lamiya Mowla ’13.

Happy holidays from Wellesley!

Lorraine O’Grady ’55 was confident from a young age that she would one day be considered a genius, no matter what the field. And she knew, too, that her importance would likely be recognized only belatedly, given the way Black women’s contributions were so often overlooked.

Wellesley honors this year’s December finishers.

Artist Lorraine O’Grady ’55, who defied category, is dead at 90. She worked in collage, photography, performance, video and installation, and she dealt forthrightly with the complexities of race and gender.

Mark S. Singel reflects on the Firefly Sparkle galaxy, discovered by a team led by astronomy professor Lamiya Mowla ’13: “We are all on this earth traveling through a magical galaxy together.”

A Wellesley College-led team of astronomers have discovered a new galaxy that is forming. And it looks a lot like our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Lorraine O’Grady ’55 developed a loyal following for artworks that often proved unclassifiable. Her art critiqued racism, misogyny, and privilege, but it did so using methods that were ambiguous and occasionally even tough to interpret. She spoke frequently of wanting to use what she called “both/and thinking” that stood against Western systems.