Dates

• Existence: 1954    

Biography

Agapita “Pita” Judy Lopez retired from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in December 2024. After caring for Georgia O’Keeffe in the winter of 1974, she began to work for the artist full-time in 1978 until O'Keeffe's death in 1986. Pita continued working with the Georgia O’Keeffe Estate, and then in 1989 with The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation as its Secretary. She served as the Foundation’s Executive Director from 1999 to 2006. Pita worked for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum from 2006 to 2024, most recently as Projects Director for Abiquiú Historic Properties, overseeing the maintenance and preservation of both of O’Keeffe’s New Mexico homes and the seasonal tours offered at the Abiquiú Home and Studio. Pita was named an Honorary Member of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Board of Trustees in October 2024. The overarching influence Pita has had on the Museum stems back three generations of the Lopez family who have worked for O’Keeffe and encompasses the experience and knowledge of many family members, immediate and extended. Her grandfather Estiben Suazo was a gardener and groundskeeper while her mother, Candelaria Lopez, was a housekeeper and cook. Pita’s brothers Margarito, Belarmino, and the late Joseph Lopez worked for O’Keeffe when she was alive as maintenance and groundskeepers, while Belarmino also assisted with her artwork. Her father, Fernando and sister, Frances, and other relatives also worked for O’Keeffe. Margarito, Belarmino, and a third brother Steve have all worked as Maintenance Specialists at the Home and Studio for the Museum. From the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Press Release, 2 Decmber 2024.

Found in 18 Collections and/or Records: