Mary Juliet McIver

February 2, 1951 – April 7, 2022

Mary Juliet McIver died peacefully in Los Angeles on April 7, 2022, among friends. Born on February 2nd, 1951 in Columbia, South Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Marcia Wyche and William Wilds McIver. She is survived by her brother Andrew Wyche and his wife Kathleen Gallagher McIver of Maitland, Florida.

Juliet was a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she studied fine art, one of her biggest passions in life. After her studies, she moved to Los Angeles, California where she soon took a position at the reception for Sotheby’s Parke-Bernet Galleries auction house. There she became closely acquainted with many artists, celebrities, and notable people, including her ex-husband Michael Zomber, whom she remained close with throughout her life. She later worked in graphic design, designing movie posters for the entertainment industry, yet she always remained a key part of L.A.’s vibrant contemporary art world.

An ambitious entrepreneur, Juliet founded three fine art companies—JMFA, Lightworks, and Artworks Projects—where she worked closely with artists, curators, and other arts professionals on private, commercial, and public art ventures. She had a sharp eye and was a voracious art collector who was excited by multi-media works that activated space and challenged her to see the world in different ways. Through her professional work and personal relationships, she supported artists at all stages of their careers, importantly nurturing emerging and under-represented artists. As a philanthropist, she donated artwork and financial support to institutions including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; the Perez Art Museum, Miami; the LA-based, non-profit art spaces LAXART and LACE; and Academy of Motion Pictures Foundation; the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and the Naturaland Trust, which was founded by her uncle.

Juliet was known for her contagious enthusiasm, generosity, beauty, frankness, love of fun, and down-to-earth good humor. A truly independent spirit, she loved flying and piloted her own single-prop airplane, which she often took on joy rides over the desert. She also adored her four cats, Maximus, La Petite, Hank, and Full-of-love. Juliet constantly had new ideas and was eager to share them. She believed in the wonderous potential of the future and invested in science and new technologies. Toward the end of her life, she returned to her own artistic practice, designing a prototype for a multimedia environment that reflected her passion for life and its transcendent possibilities. Juliet’s warmth and vision will be truly missed.

Donations in her memory can be made to the following organizations that she loved and supported: LAXART, LACE, SPCA, The Andrew Giving Fund and Naturaland Trust.