Peter MacGill

MacGill graduated with a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1974 and a M.F.A. from the University of Arizona in 1977, where he was the first student to graduate from the MFA Photography program^[6]. He began working in the photography world as a college intern at Light Gallery in 1973 where he hung Stephen Shore’s first solo show.^[6] While attending the University of Arizona MacGill served as a curator at the Center for Creative Photography.^[7] In 2005 he was ranked 15th on the list of "The 100 Most Important People in Photography" compiled by American Photo magazine.^[8]

MacGill is President of the Pace/MacGill Gallery,^[4] which opened in 1983 on East 57th Street in New York City. Although Pace/MacGill specializes in photography, the gallery has also exhibited non-photographic work since the mid-1990s.^[9] In 1999, the gallery sold Man Ray's Glass Tears (1930–33) for $1.3 million, at the time the highest price ever paid for a photograph.^[10] MacGill has stated that the work sold for such a high amount because of its scarcity (only three prints were made).^[11] In 2006, MacGill set a new record when he bought Edward Steichen’s The Pond—Moonlight for $2.9 million on behalf of a private buyer.^[12]

In 2019, MacGill established a partnership with RadicalMedia to develop a streaming platform focused on the history of photography.^[13]

• 2005: Harold Jones Distinguished Alumni Award at The University of Arizona.^{[citation needed]}