Mary Wade

Mary O’Connor Wade was a 2026 McMullan Arts Leadership Intern in Photography and Media. She graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 2025, completing her undergraduate degree with a double major in art history and Classics. Mary successfully defended an honors thesis that investigated 20th-century commercial photographer Mike Disfarmer and his works’ relationship to elitist legacies existing in portrait photography. This research culminated in a formal paper as well as an online exhibition for the Phillips Museum of Art on Franklin & Marshall’s campus. Her research grew out of her interest in both photography and accessibility—particularly as it intersects with the art world—and has led Mary to the Netherlands and England to research visitor engagement in different display contexts. She was previously apart of the 2024 Art Institute McMullan Summer Intensive, as well as the curatorial research Intern at Allentown Art Museum and collections aid for the Phillips Museum. Mary will be attending the Courtauld Institute this fall to pursue an MA in art history.