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Alexandra Kay
"Alexandra Kay was a woman of means in the 1930’s in
Washington DC. She was a patron of Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Kay was also a student of Nicolas Cikovsky (1894 – 1985) and
Richard Lahey (1893 - 1978) . Lahey was a prominent artist
and lecturer and former principal of the Corcoran School
of Art. He held life drawing classes at the Corcoran that
Alexandra Kay attended. “Sonya” was a model and friend of
Kay. Kay wanted to bring her friend to model for her drawing
class which was held in the morning and taught by Mr Lahey.
Kay was told this was not possible as Sonya was a person of
color. Kay told the Corcoran that if Sonya could not participate
in the class, then she would not either. And if she couldn’t
take the drawing class, she would also withdraw her funding
for the school. The school reversed their policy and allowed
Sonya to be painted. So the story goes, Alexandra Kay did not
withdraw her funding, the first female model of color sat for a
life drawing class in 1937 at the Corcoran School of Art and
this painting was then exhibited in Corcoran Gallery of Art in
the late 1930’s."
