Hidden Figures: Alma Thomas (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Alma Thomas

"Creative art is for all time and is therefore independent of time. It is of all ages, of every land, and if by this we mean the creative spirit in man which produces a picture or a statue is common to the whole civilized world, independent of age, race and nationality; the statement may stand unchallenged." ~ Alma Thomas, 1970 Alma Woodsey Thomas (September 22, 1891 – February 24, 1978) was an African-American Expressionist painter and art educator best known for her colorful abstract paintings. She lived and worked primarily in Washington, D.C. and The Washington Post described her as a force in the Washington Color School. The Wall Street Journal describes her as a previously "underappreciated artist" who is more recently recognized for her "exuberant" works, noteworthy for their pattern, rhythm and color. Alma Thomas was born on September 22, 1891 in Columbus, Georgia as the eldest of four children to John Harris Thomas, a businessman, and Amelia Cantey Thomas, a dress designer. In 1907 the family moved to the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., relocating due to racial violence in Georgia and the public school system of Washington. As a child, she displayed artistic interest, making puppets and sculptures at home. Thomas entered Howard University in 1921, as a home economics student, only to switch to fine art after studying under art department founder James V. Herring. She earned her BS in Fine Arts in 1924 from Howard University; becoming the first graduate from the university Fine Arts program. That year, Thomas began teaching at Shaw Junior High School, where she taught until her retirement in 1960. Her first retrospective exhibit was in 1966 at the Gallery of Art at Howard University, curated by art historian James A. Porter. Thomas would drive into the countryside and seek inspiration, pulling ideas from the effects of light and atmosphere on rural environments. In 1972, at the age of 88, Thomas was the first African-American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and within the same year an exhibition was also held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Thomas denied labels placed upon her as an artist and would not accept any barriers inhibiting her creative process and art career, including her identity as a black woman. She believed that the most important thing was for her to continue to create her visions through artwork and work in the art world despite racial segregation. Alma Thomas died on February 24, 1978 still living in the same house that her family moved into upon their arrival in Washington in 1906. Several of Thomas' paintings hang in The White House; her paintings are the first work by an African-American woman to hang in the public spaces of the White House as part of the permanent collection. #AlmaThomas #HiddenFigures ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: 'Alma Thomas became a nationally recognized painter after 38 years teaching public school:' https://insider.si.edu/2018/03/alma-thomas-became-nationally-recognized-painter-38-years-public-school-teacher/ 'How Painter Alma Thomas Brought African American History to D.C. Public Schools:' https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/archives-american-art/2018/02/21/how-painter-alma-thomas-brought-african-american-history-dc-public-schools/ Alma Thomas: https://www.artsy.net/artist/alma-thomas 'Alma Woodsey Thomas:' https://nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/alma-woodsey-thomas '‘Alma Thomas’ Review:' https://www.wsj.com/articles/alma-thomas-review-1456869006 'An Alumni Reunion On the Hilltop:' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32839-2005Apr6.html Alma Thomas (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Thomas Alma Thomas House (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Thomas_House