Discover the Unseen: Top 13 Fascinating Fun Facts About Alma Thomas You Never Knew!

1. Bob Ross Meets Wilma Flintstone

With a colorful flair for painting and a trailblazing zest that would make Bob Ross and Wilma Flintstone proud, Alma Thomas tackled the art world with unstoppable moxie: This fierce force of talent became the first African American woman artist to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City, forever etching her name in the annals of creative history.
Source => thecollector.com

2. Cherry on Top: The Whitney Exhibition

Who needs a cherry on top when you've got a Whitney? Alma Thomas was painting the town red, ultramarine blue, and every other hue in the rainbow, smashing expectations along the way: Not only did she manage to single-handedly brighten up the art world with her vibrant brushstrokes, she also became the first African-American woman to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972, forever adding a splash of color to the canvas of history.
Source => smore.com

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=> Fun Facts about Anna-May-Wong

3. Turning Lemons into Art

When life gives you lemons, retire from a long teaching career and make your way into the world of art, just like our heroine Alma Thomas: The first African-American woman with a solo exhibition at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972, she retired from an almost forty-year teaching career in 1960, having her first solo exhibition the same year and holding the distinction of being the first student to receive a bachelor of science degree in fine arts from Howard University in 1924.
Source => moma.org

4. Van Gogh's Garden Rival

Who would've thought that an artist could find inspiration while dawdling through their own backyard and not just by loitering in museums? Well, step aside Van Gogh, because Alma Thomas had a different muse altogether: This trailblazing painter drew inspiration from her home garden and the nearby U.S. National Arboretum to create her iconic Earth paintings, using intricate patterns and lively colors to remind viewers of nature's beauty amid life's hurdles in her segregated neighborhood.
Source => culturetype.com

5. First Lady of the White House Collection

In a colorful plot twist of presidential proportions: Alma Thomas became the first African-American woman to have a painting included in the White House Collection, with her masterful acrylic and graphite on canvas piece unveiled during Black History Month in 2015, thanks to support from George B. Hartzog, Jr. and the White House Acquisition Trust/White House Historical Association, all while proudly raising the flag of the Washington Color School movement high for everyone to see.
Source => whitehousehistory.org

6. Painting Among the Stars

Alma Thomas was out of this world – literally: She painted the moon walk, outer space, and even water landings from NASA's Apollo program as she rode the rocket of inspiration fuelled by space exploration! Her Space paintings like "Launch Pad" and "Blast Off" now reside at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and "Starry Night with Astronauts" orbits the Art Institute of Chicago's collection.
Source => culturetype.com

7. Chromatic Flora Pioneer

Before Bob Ross ever charmed us with his happy little trees, Alma Thomas was a connoisseur of chromatic flora from the comfort of her own home: A pioneering artist associated with the Washington Color Field School, Alma drew inspiration from observing nature's shifting hues and translated it into her abstract, colorful works, such as the 1971 painting "Earth Sermon - Beauty, Love And Peace" displayed in the Hirshhorn Museum. After a 38-year-long career of shaping young creative minds as an art teacher in Washington, D.C., her artistic prowess finally gained recognition, with her papers now available for perusal in the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.
Source => si.edu

8. Skittles on Canvas

As if dipping her brush into a vibrant Skittles bag, Alma Thomas painted the town, quite literally, red, yellow, blue, green, and every hue in between: Thomas developed her distinguishing artistic style under the influence of Color Field painting, a movement that left its colorful mark on the art world during the 1960s.
Source => dinergallery.com

9. Trailblazing Palette Sister

Here's a "stroke" of genius for you: Alma Thomas was not just a dab hand at throwing paint on canvas, she also made history as the first woman of color to have her artwork brighten up the White House's artistic repertoire, thanks to her membership in the prestigious Washington Color School alongside the likes of Kenneth Noland and Morris Louis.
Source => hyperallergic.com

10. Teaching the Art of Rainbows

Before Bob Ross and his happy little trees, there was a painter on a mission to teach the rainbow: Alma Thomas, an artist extraordinaire, who orchestrated annual exhibitions of African American artists during Negro History Week, founded the first art gallery within the D.C. Public School system, and led the School Arts League Project, enlightening young minds and opening their eyes to the kaleidoscope of artistic wonder.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

11. History-making Knock Knock Joke

Knock, knock! Who's there? Alma Thomas, busting through barriers and shattering records with her paintbrush: This innovative abstract artist became the first Black woman to receive a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art at age 81, had her piece "Resurrection" displayed in the White House during the Obama administration, and recently set a new personal auction record with her painting "Alma's Flower Garden" fetching a whopping $2.8 million.
Source => greenvilleonline.com

12. Abstract Lemonade

When life gives you lemons, Alma Thomas made vibrant, abstract lemonade: Overcoming barriers as a female African American artist, she was the first to receive a fine arts degree from Howard University in 1924, taught art in a segregated DC school for years, and finally blossomed as a key figure in the Washington Color School, with her works featured in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Source => hirshhorn.si.edu

13. Dance of Colors and History

In a world where dancing with colors was her forte and a canvas her dancefloor, one incredible lady twirled her artistic abilities right into the history books: Alma Thomas was the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972, showcasing her vibrant and abstract paintings inspired by nature and current events.
Source => phillipscollection.org