by Julia Canora
Michael A. Lang (Mike) was a devoted, passionate, and talented photographer. He took his first photographs at the age of 14 on a Leica IIIc, which he received for his birthday that year. Over the years he developed his craft and has left behind his legacy. Touchstone Gallery is proud to have displayed his art since April 1, 1999. Today, on Mike Lang Day, we hope to convey how meaningful and inspiring Mike’s presence was at the gallery, and to celebrate his life and memories through his artistry.
Mike Lang in solo exhibition, Slow Walking, in 2019
Lena Backstage, Photograph, THE DRAG ILLUSION series, 2012.
On June 25, 1942, Mike was born in the Bronx in New York City. His family later moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he was raised. When he was 7 years old, he contracted polio, just 5 years before the vaccine. Shortly after being diagnosed, Mike became the poster child for polio fundraising initiatives on WBAL radio. They used the slogan “For the Love of Mike.” Because of polio he lost the usage of his right leg as a child. Mike didn’t let his condition stop him from seeing the world and pursuing his art though; he got around fine with leg braces and crutches. If anything, he let his disability inform his art and his character and sought inspiration from it.
Photograph from A Nice Clean Room, 1957, by Michael A. Lang
In 1957, when he was 15, Mike developed his first photo series, titled A Nice Clean Room. Using only available light, the series depicted men playing pool at a bar colloquially known as Benny’s up in Baltimore. He displayed those for the first time at Touchstone Gallery in 2000, his first exhibition. The show was reviewed brilliantly from local art critics. The Washington Post called it “miraculous,” and the Baltimore Sun stated he’d captured the atmosphere “with sublime results of the quotidian ballet of people going about their business and amusement.”
In later exhibitions, Mike captured often underrepresented groups of people, such as Hill tribes of Northern Thailand, drag queens and queer communities in DC, and communities in rural Mississippi. His photography is natural. It depicts life in comfort, it makes the viewer feel as though they stand next to Mike as he took the picture. The people in the photos don’t appear documented, or observed, as is often the case in photography. He depicted life as it was, as it is, as it should be.
Mike exhibited a show at Touchstone in 2015 titled Slow Walking in NY. It photographed life through his eyes as a disabled person. By this point, he had lost the usage of his left leg, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. In this exhibition, he showed the viewer life in his shoes, literally.
In addition to those exhibitions, Mike had several others during his time at Touchstone, including The Silent Observer, The Hill Tribe People of Northern Thailand, Farrish Street, Be There (his first show featuring color photography), THE DRAG ILLUSION, and Slow Walking – 2019, among other collections featured on his website. He was also a founding member, donor, and active participant of the Touchstone Foundation of the Arts.
Bryant Park Newsstand, photograph, Slow Walking in NY series, 2015, by Michael A. Lang
Beyond photography, Mike loved reading classic novels, jazz, and science. He put himself through college at Loyola University Maryland and later earned a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of Maryland. He worked as a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, spent some time at Boston University as an Associate Professor, and eventually went on to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for more than 30 years.
On February 9, 2026, Mike tragically passed away from a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He lived a life filled with art, culture, science, and love. Through Mike’s photography, community building, and artistic legacy, his contributions live on.
To make a donation in memory of Mike Lang to the Touchstone Foundation of the Arts, click here.