WASHINGTON, D.C. — Peggy Cooper Cafritz, a well-regarded figure in the Washington art scene, died from complications with pneumonia on February 18 at the age of 70, according to the Washington Post. In a Sunday morning post on Twitter, DC mayor Muriel Bowser said, “Today, we mourn the loss of Peggy Cooper Cafritz, one of Washington’s most inspiring and generous visionaries and activists. Her legacy will be felt by generations to come. We pray for and send our condolences to Peggy’s family and friends.”

Cafritz, who was also the founding patron of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, modeled on New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, had also recently written a book, Fired Up! Ready To Go! (Rizzoli-Electa, 2018) featuring 200 images of works from her collection of emerging African American artists that perished in a 2009 fire that destroyed her hilltop mansion in Washington.

Cafritz and her book, scheduled to be published on February 20, were the focus of a Q&A feature being prepared for Antiques and The Arts Weekly before her death. That Q&A will appear in an upcoming issue.