The suicide of Tyrone Maurice Adderley, a talented and popular painting student, provided a catalyst. In his memory, faculty organized a lecture series to bring artists from underrepresented groups to give an honorary lecture to share their work and wisdom. 

In 1995 Lorraine O’Grady gave the inaugural Adderley Lecture. Over the past two decades members of the MassArt community have been privileged to meet and learn from artists, writers, scholars, and activists each year.

These lectures have been consistently excellent but, more importantly, they have transformed MassArt and the profound in influences of speakers past still reverberate in the halls and curricula of the school. 

These lectures are now available in Resource Space to members of the MassArt community (sign into you MassArt Google account for access).