Alma Thomas: Visual Music

Exploring the relationship between music and art with the paintings of Alma Thomas.

SKILL: As musicians and artists, we will “read” color, pattern, shape, and line and create music of our own.

CONTENT: Music comes in different styles, moods, and rhythms. The combination of these allows us to express ideas and emotions.

SEQUENCING: This lesson requires some basic knowledge of musical terms such as beat, melody, instruments, mood, volume, rhythm.

Consider pre-teaching this content with a brief introduction to Alma Thomas. Here is a resource to help you.

This Learning Lab collection was created by Roey Leonardi, a student in the summer 2022 Smithsonian Digital Learning and Engagement Internship, in collaboration with Emerson Collective and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. #SAintern

This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative.