Alma Thomas (September 22, 1891 – February 24, 1978) was an African American artist and teacher who lived and worked in Washington, D.C. and is now recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century. Thomas is best known for the “exuberant”, colorful, abstract paintings she created after her retirement from a 35-year career teaching art at Washington’s Shaw Junior High School.

Thomas, who is often considered a member of the Washington Color School of artists but alternatively classified by some as an Expressionist, earned her teaching degree from the University of the District of Columbia (known as Miner Normal School at the time) and was the first graduate of HBCU Howard University’s Art department, and maintained connections to that university through her life. She achieved success as an African-American female artist despite the segregation and prejudice of her time.

“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.”

Alma Thomas

Thomas’s reputation has continued to grow since her death. Her paintings are displayed in notable museums and collections, and they have been the subject of several books and solo museum exhibitions. Her piece Resurrection is now hanging in the Old Family Dining Room in the White House, making Thomas the first African American woman to have her work added to the White House Collection. And in 2021, a museum sold Thomas’s painting Alma’s Flower Garden in a private transaction for $2.8 million. [Source]

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Alma Thomas Books & Resources

Ablaze with Color by Jeanne Walker Harvey is my favorite picture book about Alma Thomas. It’s beautifully illustrated by Loveis Wise, and the story flows well with a good mix of information and sophistication. I enjoyed it so much that I included it as one of the 180+ books featured in my newest Heritage Pack, Joyful Generations. If you enjoy this Alma Thomas book, be sure to check out my post on 17 Picture Books Featuring Black Artists for more great book ideas.

Alma’s Art by Roda Ahmed is a sweet and simple choice for very young children (toddlers and preschoolers). It gives a basic overview of Thomas’ story and focuses on her use of color and abstract work.

Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful by Jonathan Frederick Walz is “a sweeping retrospective of Alma W. Thomas’s wide-reaching artistic practice that sheds new light on her singular search for beauty.” I don’t own this coffee-table book, but we were able to view it during a recent museum visit, and I’d love to own a copy.

Alma Thomas 2023 Wall Calendar – We didn’t study individual images from this artist as we have with others from my African American Picture Study Resources, but you could easily use this calendar for high-quality prints of Thomas’ work. I used a calendar when we studied Faith Ringgold, and it worked out perfectly.

“I say everyone on earth should take note of the spring of the year coming back every year, blooming and gorgeous.”

Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas Museum Visits

After reading about Thomas’ life in Ablaze with Color, my family was excited to dig deeper. We watched videos and began searching for opportunities to see her work in person. We encountered one of her pieces, Red Rambling Rose Spring Song, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, VA during a family road trip last summer.

Seeing this piece was exciting, and it fed our eager interest for a time. But last week we topped that with a visit to The Columbus Museum in Columbus, GA for one of the final days of the traveling exhibit Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful. It provided a comprehensive overview of the artist’s long life with approximately 150 works, including her rarely seen theatrical designs and beloved abstract paintings. We also got to see actual items from Thomas’ family home, and that was the cherry on top.

We had a wonderful time visiting The Columbus Museum, and it’s FREE which is really awesome for families.

“Color is life. Light is the mother of color. Light reveals to us the spirit and living soul of the world through colors.”

Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas Video

Want to find out more about Alma Thomas? Check out this video from the National Gallery of Art:

Find out about other artists that we’ve enjoyed studying in my book A PLACE TO BELONG, and I often share about artists on Instagram @heritagemomblog.