Blake Bradford, a beloved adjunct professor at Lincoln University, tireless arts advocate, and writer, died on Oct. 21 of lymphoma aged 52, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Bradford was determined to advance “creative, inclusive, equitable communities and institutions,” as he called them. To achieve this, he developed educational and professional training programs that served young people who otherwise may not have experienced the arts. The programs, such as pioneering Points of Entry, gave them a chance to find employment in museum management or various other cultural organizations. 

“My work is grounded in generosity,” he wrote on his website. “I support collaboration and inspiration. I counter cultures of exclusion and remove barriers to participation.” 

Bradford was a senior fellow at the Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships at Drexel University. He also taught as an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design, Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, and Community College of Philadelphia. 

Additionally, he was director of the groundbreaking museum studies program at Lincoln University. 

He was also a family man who doted on his wife, Jill Luedke, and their children, Star and Cyrus. 

Read more about Blake Bradford in The Philadelphia Inquirer.