"Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" Introduction

Summary

Alma Thomas, a distinguished artist with a rich life story, is celebrated for her vibrant and luminous paintings, which she began creating in earnest during her sixties. Her work, characterized by intricate color layering and rhythmic brushstrokes, not only appeals to the visual sense but also evokes auditory and tactile sensations. Thomas believed in the healing power of beauty, and her paintings invite viewers to experience the world through her eyes, offering a deeply emotional and spiritual connection.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Alma Thomas is a significant artist whose work was first added to the collection in 1970 and was further donated posthumously.
• 🏛 Thomas had a strong connection with Washington, DC, where she lived most of her life and was an influential figure in the local art community.
• 🎓 She was the first to graduate from Howard University with a degree in fine art and had a long career as an educator in DC public schools.
• 👩‍🏫 Thomas was instrumental in teaching generations of Black children about art and African American art history.
• 🌟 Her painting career took off in the mid-1950s, in her sixties, following her retirement from teaching.
• 🌈 Visitors to her exhibition can expect to experience vibrant colors and luminous patterns from the last fifteen years of her life.
• 👀 The paintings may appear simple from afar, but closer inspection reveals intricate details and nuanced color layering.
• 🎼 Thomas's brushstrokes can be likened to musical notes, with color used in a rhythmic and composed manner.
• 🌳 Her work is multisensory, evoking sounds and feelings associated with nature and the changing seasons.
• 💖 She believed in the healing power of beauty, viewing it as essential to our spiritual and emotional well-being.
• 🌍 The exhibition aims to allow viewers to see the world through Thomas's perspective, offering a deeply immersive experience.

Q & A

When did Alma Thomas's work first enter the collection of the museum?

Alma Thomas's work first came into the museum's collection in 1970.

How many pieces of Alma Thomas's work were acquired by the museum during her lifetime?

About a dozen pieces of Alma Thomas's work were either bought or given to the museum during her lifetime.

What did Alma Thomas arrange for after her death regarding her works on canvas?

Alma Thomas made arrangements for the mass of her works on canvas to come to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) after her death.

Where was Alma Thomas born and when did she move to Washington, D.C.?

Alma Thomas was born in Georgia, and she and her family moved to Washington, D.C. when she was a young teenager.

How close did Alma Thomas live to the museum for most of her life?

For most of her life, Alma Thomas lived about a mile from the museum.

What educational milestone did Alma Thomas achieve at Howard University?

Alma Thomas was the first graduate from Howard University with a degree in fine art.

How long did Alma Thomas teach in Washington, D.C. public schools?

Alma Thomas taught in Washington, D.C. public schools for more than thirty years.

When did Alma Thomas begin to come into her own as a painter?

Alma Thomas began to come into her own as a painter in the mid-1950s, when she was already in her sixties.

What significant change in her life allowed Alma Thomas to dedicate more time to painting?

Alma Thomas was able to dedicate more time to painting after she retired from her career as a school teacher.

What can visitors expect to experience when viewing Alma Thomas's work in the show?

Visitors can expect to bask in the brilliant color and luminous patterns of the work that Alma Thomas created in the last fifteen years of her life.

How does the script suggest one should approach viewing Alma Thomas's paintings?

The script suggests that viewers should first look around each room, observe the paintings in relation to each other, pick one that speaks to them, and then look at it more closely to appreciate the nuances and micro decisions in the painting.

What technique did Alma Thomas use to build up layers of color in her paintings?

Alma Thomas built up layers of color by making a color more intense or tamping it down to create contrast, and using white to shape and carve the exact contours of a brushstroke.

How does the script describe the sensory experience of viewing Alma Thomas's paintings?

The script describes the paintings as multisensorial, heightening other senses such as hearing the rustling of leaves or feeling the warmth of the sun or the chill of a snowy day.

What belief did Alma Thomas hold about the power of beauty in relation to human well-being?

Alma Thomas believed in the recuperative power of beauty, viewing it as something essential to our spiritual and emotional well-being, not as a trivial thing.

What is the aim of the show featuring Alma Thomas's work?

The aim of the show is to have viewers see the world through Alma Thomas's eyes and to lose themselves in the paintings, connecting with the work on a deeper level.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Life and Art of Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas was a remarkable artist whose work was first introduced to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in 1970. Over the years, the museum acquired about a dozen pieces of her art, either through purchase or donation, during her lifetime. After her death, Thomas arranged for the majority of her canvas works to be donated to SAAM. Born in Georgia, Thomas moved to Washington, DC, as a teenager and lived just a mile from the museum for most of her life. She was a pivotal figure in the local art community and the first to graduate from Howard University with a fine art degree. Thomas taught art in DC public schools for over thirty years, influencing generations of students. Her painting career truly took off in the mid-1950s, in her sixties, as she anticipated retirement from teaching. Once retired, she devoted most of her time to painting, creating a unique style characterized by brilliant colors and luminous patterns. Visitors to her exhibitions can expect to be immersed in the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of her work, which she developed in the last fifteen years of her life. The exhibition encourages viewers to engage with the paintings both from a distance and up close, revealing the nuanced layers of color and brushstrokes that Thomas meticulously crafted. Her art is not just visual but also multisensory, evoking sounds and feelings associated with nature.

Keywords

💡Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas is a central figure in the video script, being an artist whose work is celebrated and discussed. She is noted for her significant contributions to both art and education. Born in Georgia, she moved to Washington, DC, as a teenager and became the first graduate from Howard University with a degree in fine art. Thomas taught in DC public schools for over thirty years, influencing generations of students. Her painting career blossomed in her sixties, and her work is characterized by vibrant colors and luminous patterns, reflecting her belief in the power of beauty.

💡SAAM

SAAM stands for Smithsonian American Art Museum, which is the institution that houses a significant collection of Alma Thomas's work. The museum acquired about a dozen of her pieces during her lifetime and arranged for the bulk of her works on canvas to be donated after her death. This highlights the importance of her art in the context of American art history and the museum's commitment to preserving and showcasing her legacy.

💡Fine Art

Fine Art is a term used to describe works of visual art that are created primarily for aesthetic or expressive purposes, rather than functional ones. In the script, Alma Thomas is noted as the first graduate from Howard University with a degree in fine art, emphasizing her academic background and her commitment to the artistic discipline. This background is crucial to understanding her artistic journey and the depth of her work.

💡Retirement

Retirement in the context of the script refers to Alma Thomas's transition from her career as a school teacher to focusing on her painting. This period allowed her to dedicate more time to her art, leading to her most prolific and celebrated works. The concept of retirement here is significant as it marks a turning point in her artistic career, enabling her to fully explore and express her creative vision.

💡Color

Color is a fundamental element in Alma Thomas's paintings, as described in the script. Her use of color is not merely decorative but is integral to the emotional and sensory impact of her work. The script mentions how she builds up layers of color to create intensity or contrast, and how she uses white to shape and define brushstrokes. This attention to color is a key aspect of her unique style and contributes to the multisensory experience of her art.

💡Luminous Patterns

Luminous Patterns refer to the bright, glowing designs that characterize Alma Thomas's later work. The script describes how visitors to her show can expect to be immersed in these patterns, which are created through her meticulous application of color and light. These patterns not only make her paintings visually striking but also contribute to the sense of depth and movement in her work.

💡Brushstrokes

Brushstrokes are the individual marks made by an artist's brush on a canvas, and in Alma Thomas's case, they are likened to musical notes in the script. This analogy suggests that her use of brushstrokes is as deliberate and rhythmic as a composer's use of notes, contributing to the overall harmony and structure of her paintings. The script emphasizes the nuance and detail in her brushwork, revealing the complexity behind what might initially appear as simple applications of color.

💡Multisensorial

Multisensorial describes an experience that engages multiple senses, not just sight. In the context of Alma Thomas's art, the script suggests that her paintings evoke sounds, like the rustling of leaves, or sensations, such as the warmth of the sun or the chill of a snowy day. This multisensorial quality enhances the viewer's engagement with her work, making it a more immersive and emotionally resonant experience.

💡Beauty

Beauty is a recurring theme in the script, particularly in relation to Alma Thomas's belief in its recuperative power. The script suggests that she saw beauty as something essential, not trivial, and deeply connected to our spiritual and emotional well-being. Her art, therefore, is not just an aesthetic pursuit but a means of expressing and exploring the profound aspects of life and existence.

💡Washington, DC Art Communities

Washington, DC Art Communities refers to the network of artists, educators, and institutions in the DC area that Alma Thomas was a part of. As a vital figure in these communities, she contributed to the cultural landscape of the city through her teaching and her art. The script highlights her influence on generations of students and her role in shaping the artistic and educational discourse in Washington, DC.

💡Howard University

Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, DC, where Alma Thomas earned her degree in fine art. Being the first graduate from the university with such a degree underscores her pioneering role in the field of fine arts education. The script uses this fact to highlight her academic achievements and her contribution to the advancement of African American art and education.

Highlights

Alma Thomas is a special artist whose work was first added to the collection in 1970.

Over a dozen pieces were acquired by the museum during Thomas's lifetime and more were donated after her death.

Thomas's life story is rich, from her birth in Georgia to her significant contributions to Washington, DC's art community.

She was the first to graduate from Howard University with a fine art degree and taught in DC public schools for over 30 years.

Thomas's teaching influenced generations of Black children, introducing them to art and African American art history.

Her painting career began in her sixties, post-retirement from teaching.

Visitors can expect to experience the brilliant color and luminous patterns of Thomas's work from the last 15 years of her life.

Thomas developed a unique painting style that is distinctly her own.

The exhibition encourages visitors to engage with the paintings, starting with an overall view and then examining details.

Up close, viewers can appreciate the nuanced decisions and layering of colors in Thomas's paintings.

Thomas built up layers of color to create intensity or contrast, using white to shape brushstrokes.

Her brushstrokes can be likened to musical notes, arranged in rhythm and sequence like a composer.

The paintings are multisensory, evoking auditory and tactile sensations alongside the visual.

Thomas's work reflects her love for living things and attention to their flux, movement, and changeability.

She believed in the recuperative power of beauty and its essential role in spiritual and emotional well-being.

The exhibition aims to allow viewers to see the world through Thomas's eyes, offering an immersive experience.

The paintings invite viewers to lose themselves, offering a connection that many can relate to.

Transcripts

- (Melissa Ho) Alma Thomas is a really special artist.

Her work first came into our collection in 1970.

About a dozen pieces were either bought or given to the museum over the course of Alma Thomas's lifetime.

And then she made arrangements for the mass of her works on canvas to come to SAAM after her death.

Alma Thomas's life is an incredibly interesting and rich one.

She's born in Georgia.

She and her family come to DC when she's a young teenager.

So she lived, for most of her life, about a mile from the museum.

And she is this vital figure within Washington, DC, art communities for decades.

She is the first graduate from Howard University with a degree in fine art.

She teaches in DC public schools for more than thirty years.

So there are generations of Black children in DC who are learning art and African American

art history because of the groundbreaking work that Alma Thomas is doing as a teacher.

But she really comes into her own as a painter beginning in the later, the mid-1950s,

and at this time, she's in her sixties already.

She's anticipating retiring from her career as a school teacher.

When she is able to retire, that's when she's able to dedicate the bulk of her time to painting.

Visitors to this show can expect to bask in the brilliant color and the luminous patterns

of work that she created in the last fifteen years of her life.

And this is when she comes into her full blossom as a painter, and she creates this unique

style that's distinctly her own.

As you go into the show, I would encourage you to first just look around each room and

look at the paintings in relation to each other, and pick one that speaks to you, and

then go and look at it more closely.

From a distance, you might think that they were very simply and quickly constructed.

As you look more closely, you can see all the nuance and all the different micro decisions

that went into making any single part of one of these paintings.

What may look at first like a single application of the color blue or the color red, upon examination,

you can see that she's actually building up layers of color.

She'll make a color more intense, or she'll tamp it down and make it a little bit duller

if she wants some contrast there.

She'll go in with white and shape and carve the exact contours of a brushstroke.

If you think about her brushstrokes as notes, and that the notes are being used in the same

way that a composer is putting things in sequence, putting things in a rhythm, she's doing the

same thing with color.

These are obviously works of visual art, but they're also incredibly multisensorial in

that I think they heighten some of your other senses.

So you look at a painting and you hear the rustling of leaves or you feel the warmth

of sun or perhaps the chill of a snowy day.

She has such a love of living things, and she pays so much attention to the flux and

the movement and the changeability of living things.

She really was an artist who truly believed in the recuperative power of beauty and that

beauty is not this trivial thing, but it's something that gets to the essence of being

alive and gets to the essence of our spiritual and emotional well-being.

And the show really aims to have you see the world through her eyes.

You can really lose yourself in these paintings and that, I think, is something that is really

easy for many different people to connect with.