'Ablaze with Color' - Read and Rise March 2025
Alma Thomas is new to me but as soon as I read the quote before the start of the story I knew I would love her.
"Through color, I have sought to concentrate
on beauty and happiness, rather than on man's
inhumanity to man." - Alma Thomas (1970)
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Alma grew up in Georgia, loving the colors and beauty of nature. She loved being outside and making things she could hold like bowls and cups make from the red clay on the banks of a stream. Alma and her sisters couldn't attend school or visit nearby museums and libraries because of the color of their skin. So Alma's parents filled their home with books and invited teachers into their home in an effort to create an enriching learning place.
When Alma was a teenager, her family moved to Washington DC so that she would be able to attend school. Alma went on to study art in college and was determined to bring art to children, spending most of her life teaching. At 70, Alma decided to shift her focus to painting - 12 years later, she became the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City.
37 years after her death, First Lady Michelle Obama opened up the Old Family Dining Room for public display for the first time in history. The room featured contemporary art, including Alma Thomas's painting Resurrection. It was the first artwork by a Black woman added to the White House permanent collection. It was a wonderful way to honor an amazing and inspiring woman.
Featured Story: Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey and Loveis Wise
Activity: create your own Alma-inspired piece of artwork! Alma Thomas's signature style is abstract painting including bright colors and a mosaic-like technique. Below are two painting ideas you can do with your children.
Art Projects for Kids - this one is great for younger children
Art with Trista - this project is a bit more complicated and geared toward middle/high school age
For more information about Alma, click here.
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