Alma Woodsey Thomas was an African American painter and teacher who first gained traction from her abstract paintings full of color and unique patterns. She educated students on art, while focusing on her own art career. Being a key member of Washington’s art community, contributing to galleries such as the Barnett Aden Gallery and, and a major influence in the Washington Color School movement, she was known for using vibrant colors in her artwork unapologetically. How do you think Alma Thomas’ use of vibrant colors and abstract patterns influenced the Washington Color School movement? Do you predict that Alma Thomas will have to face any major challenges because of her background and age?

Her Upbringing..

In 1907, her family moved to Columbus, Georgia where she was born on September 22nd, 1891 in a neighborhood called Rose Hill. With her family seeking for more opportunities, and getting away from Jim Crow and racial violence in the south, they moved to Washington, D.C. As a result, Thomas was raised in a family full of knowledge and a determination for a better education. As a young girl, Thomas dreamed of becoming an architect, but instead pursued fine arts because of the lack of opportunities for women in architecture.

Her Career…

In 1924, Thomas became the first art department graduate at Howard University and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). That same year she began teaching at Shaw Junior High School, D.C. for nearly 35 years. She continued earning even more degrees in education like her Master of Arts in Arts Education at Columbia University while studying art at American University a decade later. in 1934. In the 1950s, she began experimenting with abstraction, being influenced by professors like James V. Herring and Loïs Mailou Jones and religion. In 1966, at the age of 75, Thomas debuted her abstract paintings at Howard University, in an exhibition. The style in her artwork was a mixture of  influences from Byzantine mosaics, Pointillism, and the Washington Color School movement. In 1972, Thomas became the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Artworks like “Snoopy–Early Sun Display on Earth” (1970) and “Aquatic Gardens” (1973), were influenced by space exploration, nature, and most importantly, the parks of Washington, D.C.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Alma Thomas

Resurrection (1966)

Famous Quotes: 

• “I’ve never bothered painting the ugly things in life. People struggling, having difficulty. You meet that when you go out, and then you have to come back and see the same thing hanging on the wall. No. I wanted something beautiful that you could sit down and look at. And then, the paintings change you.” – Alma Thomas, ca. 1977–78

 

• Around then, Thomas reflected on her segregated childhood: “One of the things we couldn’t do was go into museums, let alone think of hanging our pictures there. My, times have changed. Just look at me now.” – Alma Thomas

 

• “Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.” ― Alma Woodsey Thomas, Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings

 

• “For the first time in history we acquired ‘Resurrection’, making it the first piece by a black woman added to the White House’s permanent collection we placed the painting directly in visitors line of sight across from the doorway and centered right between a pair of towering windows so that its warmth would greet you the moment you stepped into the room.” – Michelle Obama, “Alma Thomas: Your New Favorite Artist” on YouTube, Time Stamp: (05:03)

Thomas’ Impact

As we remember Alma Thomas for her work, she was a huge role model for African Americans, women, and older artists just like her. Thomas’ work was celebrated for her unique approach on colors and abstract forms, and knowledgeable inspirations she took to create her artwork. Just looking at her art, your spirits are instantly lifted! Her art focused on beauty and happiness around her, rather than directly focusing on politics or movements. After her death on February 24th, 1978, at Howard University Hospital, Washington, D.C., her work was still very much influential as her “Resurrection” painting was sold for $2.6 million at an auction back in 2019  with prices ranging from 750 USD to 3,922,000 USD. Do you believe Thomas’ role as both an educator and a painter helped contribute to the art community? What do you think it means for an artist to unapologetically use bold and vibrant colors in their artwork, as Thomas did? Do you believe Alma Thomas’ artwork would have had the same impact if she had not been an African American woman artist in the 20th century? Thank you for following along and do not forget to click the comment button on the right-hand side to share your opinions and critiques on this matter! Tune in for more Beyond the Canvas articles.

Sources:

• • https://americanart.si.edu/artist/alma-thomas-4778
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Thomas
  • https://nmwa.org/art/artists/alma-woodsey-thomas/
  • https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/alma-thomas-papers-9241
  • https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1926.html
  • https://www.phillipscollection.org/alma-w-thomas-everything-beautiful
  • https://mag.rochester.edu/exhibitions/composing-color/
  • https://www.moma.org/artists/47098-alma-woodsey-thomas
  • https://www.wikiart.org/en/alma-woodsey-thomas/sky-light-1973