Alma Thomas: Everything is Beautiful

Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful provides a comprehensive overview of the artist’s long life (1891–1978) with approximately 100 works, including her rarely seen theatrical designs and beloved abstract paintings. The exhibition tracks Thomas’s artistic journey from semi-rural Georgia to international recognition, demonstrating how her artistic practices extended to every facet of her life—from community service and teaching to gardening and dress.

In 1924, Alma Woodsey Thomas became the first graduate of Howard University’s Fine Arts program with a B.S. degree in Art. Ms. Thomas became a celebrated painter in the late 20th century. She was the first African-American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 2015, Ms. Thomas’ painting, “Resurrection” was purchased for the White House, making it the first work by an African American woman to be placed on view in the public spaces of the White House as part of the permanent collection.