Lois Dodd first studied art and textile design while attending Cooper Union in the 1940s. She was one of five artists to establish the legendary Tanager Gallery in 1952, an important 10th Street co-op gallery where many young artists first found a platform for their work. She exhibited her paintings at the Tanager for 10 years and later went on to teach at Brooklyn College. Dodd is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Academy of Design.