Alma Thomas: Pioneering Artist

• Alma Thomas was a pioneering artist, known for lifting spirits with her work.
• Originally from Columbus, Georgia, she grew up surrounded by nature. Her family moved to Washington D.C. in 1907 due to town's harsh racial realities.
• Thomas attended Armstrong High School in Washington D.C. in the 1920s, where she discovered her passion for art.
• In 1924, she became the first to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in art from Howard University, and began teaching at Shaw Junior High School shortly thereafter.
• She influenced hundreds of black children in Washington D.C. through her teaching, and also founded the Sunday afternoon beauty club for neighborhood children.
• In the 1930s, Thomas earned a Master's degree in arts education from Columbia University. She continued learning from artists such as Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Kanan, and Sam Gilliam.
• In the 1950s, she studied painting at American University and began experimenting with abstract styles. Her work is characterized by almost stripe-like or dotted patterns, inspired by nature.
• In 1966, Thomas retired from teaching and began creating a new style of paintings based on patterns of light. She continued creating works inspired by nature and the cosmos until her death in 1978.
• Her painting "Resurrection" was added to the White House's permanent collection in 1968, becoming the first piece by a black woman to be displayed in the People's House.

Test your knowledge about Alma Thomas, a pioneering artist known for her uplifting work and influence on black children in Washington D.C. through teaching and community initiatives.