“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.”

Famous artist and art teacher Alma Woodsey Thomas is most commonly known for her abstract acrylic paintings. Thomas went to school at Howard University and became the first person to graduate from the newly founded Department of Art in 1924.

She worked as an art teacher at D.C. Junior High School for 35 years. As she worked, she was able to continue working on her own paintings. 

Following her retirement in 1960, she found her signature style which involved bright colors and puzzle-like patterns.

“The bright colors Alma Thomas uses in her artwork inspires me to create more vivid and positive pieces of work myself,” Zareena Diola, ’27.

Her first exhibition debuted at Howard University in 1966 at the age of 75.

Thomas became the first Black woman to be presented with a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum at 81 years old.

Even after her death in 1978, her work was still recognized.

Her painting “Resurrection” was added to the White House Collection during Black History Month in 2015. This made her the first Black woman to have her paintings added to the collection. Her work has been exhibited at the White House three times.