This profile explores the Upper West Side residence of Crystal McCrary McGuire and Raymond J. McGuire, a power couple deeply embedded in New York City’s cultural and financial sectors. Their home serves as a private gallery for a significant collection of African American art, featuring masterworks by Norman Lewis, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Elizabeth Catlett, and Romare Bearden. The couple’s shared passion for collecting began independently, sparked by their formative years studying in France, and has since evolved into a joint mission to preserve and live alongside Black artistic heritage.
Beyond their private collection, the McGuires are influential figures in the institutional art world. Raymond J. McGuire, president of Lazard and a former mayoral candidate, serves as the chairman of the Studio Museum in Harlem, where he recently led a $300 million capital campaign for its new building. Crystal McCrary McGuire, an author and filmmaker, balances her creative work with board positions at the Paley Center for Media. Together, they represent a bridge between corporate leadership and cultural philanthropy, focusing on the legacy and visibility of Black artists.
This Codex story summarizes and connects outside reporting with related artists, galleries, museums, topics, and prior coverage.