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Showing 103 results for Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas
Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas
The exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas provides an intimate view of Alma Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period from 1959 to her death in 1978.
Exhibition
A detail of a comic book cover showing a young African American girl with a paintbrush in her hand
Happy Birthday, Alma Thomas
Celebrating what would have been artist Alma Thomas’s 130th birthday with a comic about her life and work
Blog post
Two views of a painting under different lighting conditions.
Using Science to Uncover Secrets of Alma Thomas 
Conservators at SAAM uncover new aspects of the influential artist’s work
Blog post
Detail of abstract painting showing red tiles of paint on a white background.
Dancing While Designing: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Alma Thomas’s Working Methods
Explore the themes of Music and Nature in Composing Colors: Paintings by Alma Thomas.
Blog post
Visual Music cover for Learning Lab
Alma Thomas: Visual Music
Exploring the relationship between music and art with the paintings of Alma Thomas.
Learning resource
Communicate in Color cover for Learning Lab
Alma Thomas: Communicate in Color
Using descriptive language and prepositional phrases to write about the paintings of Alma Thomas.
Learning resource
a powerpoint slide showing an artwork by Alma Thomas and the title of the program
Alma Thomas: Teacher, Artist, Trailblazer (Part 1
Join museum educators and art conservators from the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a "behind the scenes" look at the trailblazing artist Alma Thomas and the unique way she created her exuberant abstract paintings.
Learning resource
Alma Thomas with her portrait by Laura Wheeler Waring, Portrait of a Lady (1947, SAAM) in her home, Washington, DC, 1968. Photo by Ida Jervis. Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
Alma Thomas
born Columbus, GA 1891-died Washington, DC 1978
Alma Thomas was a teacher and artist who developed a powerful form of abstract painting late in life. From the mid-1960s, she produced brilliantly colored and richly patterned works intimately connected to the natural world.
Person
Problem Solving cover for Learning Lab
Alma Thomas: Problem Solving
Empathize with artist Alma Thomas to design innovative solutions to physical challenges.
Learning resource
A powerpoint slide showing Alma Thomas's artwork and the title of the educational program
Alma Thomas: Teacher, Artist, Trailblazer (Part 2
Join a rich conversation with aerospace engineer Janelle Wellons and horticulturist Abra Lee, as they reflect on artist Alma Thomas’s legacy as a STEAM trailblazer. Wellons shares insights on how visual images and inquiry can unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, while Lee unearths the histories of Black gardeners. Together, these reflections provide an in-depth understanding of Thomas’s cultural impact and the ways in which her work continues to inspire adults and students alike.
Learning resource
Making EMS Visible cover for Learning Lab
Alma Thomas: Making EMS Visible
Communicating about light, the atmosphere, and the electromagnetic spectrum with the paintings of Alma Thomas.
Learning resource
Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.3
Fact Sheet: Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas” 
August 15, 2023
“Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas” draws on the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s extensive holdings of Alma Thomas’ art to offer an intimate view of her evolving practice.
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum
Press release
Splash Image - Stumbled Upon: Alma Thomas
Stumbled Upon: Alma Thomas
The snow was coming and I was racing around town before my weather sequester began. When I got to the store the parking lot was filled, and cars were backed out onto the street (obviously, everyone's storm timing was in sync).
Blog post
View of SAAM gallery.
What a Wonderful World: Seeing Beauty Through the Eyes of Alma Thomas
Go inside the galleries of Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas
Blog post
Media - 1978.40.2 - SAAM-1978.40.2_1 - 52856
In This Case: Alma Thomas, An Artist from Washington, DC
Alma Thomas, a DC artist and influential painter, once said, "I've never bothered painting the ugly things in life...no. I wanted something beautiful you could sit down and look at." She dedicated her life to doing just that.
Blog post