Gay Wallace Glading

Gay Glading was a Washington, D.C. artist who was active in the 1960s and 70s during the color school movement. During this time, her work was exhibited at the Henri Gallery (Washington, D.C.) and Park Place Gallery (New York), among others. In 1969, her painting, "Second Shield of Venus," was exhibited at the National Air & Space Museum, and later the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) as part of an art exchange.

In the 1960’s, Glading lived in New York City. Her studio was located at the Fulton Fish Market. While there, she taught at Hunter College.

In 1972, she moved to Washington and lived at the Beverly Court, a coop filled with artists working in various medium.

In 1976, she was commissioned by the developer Lerner to create artwork for the new White Flint Mall. She created several multi-story hangings that became known as the “White Flint Banners,” which were suspended throughout the interior mall space.

In 1977, Paul Richard wrote for the Washington Post: "Like other Washington color painters, she used to place her work within the confines of the art world. Then she broke its bounds and started making works of art that could be used and worn.… All Glading’s look like Glading’s. No artist in this city has made so many paintings in so many different styles for an audience so wide."

In 1984, she was an artist in residence at NASA for the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger with Astronaut Sally

Ride as a crew member, the first woman astronaut. Glading created watercolor sketches the day of the launch. She then painted a series of Challenger paintings that are an evolution of paint layering that bring the launch to life on multiple oil canvases.

In 2018, Glading was among the artists featured in the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery's inaugural exhibition, "Full Circle: Hue and Saturation in the Washington Color School." The gallery's founding patron and namesake, Dr. Luther W. Brady, described the works on display as "critically important in the change that took place in abstract expressionism."

In addition to painting on conventional canvas Gay also created clothing from canvas she had painted, including hats,

bags & delicate note paper.

Gay passed away in her art studio, watching the sky surrounded by friends.

She is survived by her loving nephews and niece, their families, dear friends, associates and collectors.