REEL PLAN
In association with the traveling museum exhibition
ALMA W. THOMAS: EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL

Presents 

 
 

A film by

CHERI GAULKE


INTERVIEWS 
IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

LISA FARRINGTON
Associate Dean of Fine Arts, Howard University and Director of the Gallery of Art

MELISSA HO
Curator of Twentieth-Century Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum

AARON PAYNE
Art Dealer & Advisor; Owner, Aaron Payne Fine Art, Santa Fe

JONATHAN FREDERICK WALZ
Director of Curatorial Affairs & Curator of American Art, The Columbus Museum, Georgia

MELANEE C. HARVEY
Assistant Professor, Department of Art, Howard University

SETH FEMAN
Deputy Director for Art & Interpretation and Curator of Photography, Chrysler Museum of Art

TIFFANY E. BARBER
Scholar, Curator, and Critic

CHARLES THOMAS LEWIS
Alma Thomas' Great Nephew

And featuring 

ALFRE WOODARD

As the voice of Alma Thomas

PRODUCTION TEAM

CHERI GAULKE
Director, Writer, Editor

JONATHAN GANN
Producer

SUE MABERRY
Co-writer, Creative Consultant

KIA BASKERVILLE
JACQUELINE SAGE BENNETT
Associate Producers

TIM WILSON
Cinematography

CHARI GLOGOVAC-SMITH
Original Music

DEREK ALLEN
Camera

TASHEL BEAN
Animation

KELLEY BAKER
MARC ROSE
Sound

GENE COWAN
Graphics

DEREK FORDJOUR, JAMES HALL, DARREN HORNE,
LISA MCDONOUGH, THOM PEGG, AARON PAYNE
and THE FRIENDS OF ALMA THOMAS
Executive Producers

PAINTINGS BY ALMA THOMAS

ECLIPSE, 1970
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist

STUDY FOR RESURRECTION, C. 1966
Private collection, Courtesy of Hemphill Artworks

PANSIES IN WASHINGTON, 1969
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Corcoran Collection, Gift of Vincent Melzac

A FANTASTIC SUNSET, 1970
Private collection, Philadelphia

WIND DANCING WITH SPRING FLOWERS, 1969
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College
Purchased through a gift from Evelyn A. and 
William B. Jaffe, Class of 1964, by exchange

SPRING FLOWERS IN WASHINGTON, DC, 1969
Private collection, Courtesy of 
Los Angeles Modern Auctions

TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS, 1969
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Corcoran Collection, Gift of Vincent Melzac

SPRING FLOWERS NEAR JEFFERSON MEMORIAL, 1970
Fisk University Galleries, Nashville, Tennessee

SNOOPY—EARLY SUN DISPLAY ON EARTH, 1970
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of Vincent Melzac

ASTRONAUTS GLIMPSE OF EARTH, 1974
National Air and Space Museum
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kainen

STARRY NIGHT AND THE ASTRONAUTS, 1972
Art Institute of Chicago. Restricted gift of Mary P. Hines in memory of her mother, Frances W. Pick. 
Image provided by Art Resource, NY

WIND AND CREPE MYRTLE CONCERTO, 1973
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of Vincent Melzac

RED ROSES SONATA, 1972
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Longview Foundation, Inc., in memory of Audrey Stern Hess. 
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource, NY

RED AZALEAS SINGING AND DANCING ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC, 1976
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Bequest of the artist

WINTER SHADOWS, C. 1960
National Gallery of Art, Washington, 
Corcoran Collection, Gift of Ida and Sidney Jervis

GRASSY MELODIC CHANT, 1976
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Bequest of the artist

BLUE GROUND STRIPE, 1971
The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina

FALL ATMOSPHERE, 1971
Private collection

MARS DUST, 1972
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Purchase, with funds from The Hament Corporation

CUMULUS, 1972
Collection SFMOMA.
Purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Peggy Guggenheim

GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE, 1952
The Columbus Museum.
Gift of Miss John Maurice Thomas in memory of her parents
John H. and Amelia W. Cantey Thomas and her sister Alma Woodsey Thomas

STILL LIFE WITH VASES AND FLOWERS, 1954
David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Gift from the Sandra and Lloyd Baccus Collection

STILL LIFE WITH MANDOLIN, 1955
The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina

BLUE AND BROWN STILL LIFE, 1958
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Smithsonian Institution. Gift of Vincent Melzac

RED FORMS, EARLY 1960
The Columbus Museum.
Gift of Miss John Maurice Thomas in memory of her parents
John H. and Amelia W. Cantey Thomas and her sister Alma Woodsey Thomas

UNTITLED, 1968
Courtesy of DC Public Library

UNTITLED (WOODED LANDSCAPE), 1952
David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Gift from the Sandra and Lloyd Baccus Collection

UNTITLED STUDY (RED AND GREEN), 1972
The Columbus Museum.
Gift of Miss John Maurice Thomas in memory of her parents
John H. and Amelia W. Cantey Thomas and her sister Alma Woodsey Thomas

EARTH SERMON–BEAUTY, LOVE, AND PEACE, 1971
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson

LIGHT BLUE NURSERY, 1968
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of the artist

AUTUMN LEAVES FLUTTERING IN THE BREEZE, 1973
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Bequest of the artist

RED SUNSET, OLD POND CONCERTO, 1972
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of the Woodward Foundation

RESURRECTION
The George B. Hartzog, Jr. White House Acquisition Trust
(White House Historical Association)

BREEZE RUSTLING THROUGH FALL FLOWERS, 1968
The Phillips Collection. Gift of Franz Bader

LAUNCH PAD, 1970
National Air and Space Museum
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Anderson

BLAST OFF, 1970
National Air and Space Museum
Gift of Vincent Melzac

LUNAR SURFACE, 1970
American University Museum, Washington, DC
Gift of the Artist

SNOOPY SEES EARTH WRAPPED IN SUNSET, 1976
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Bequest of the artist

UNTITLED, 1970
Franz Bader Gallery, poster for Alma Thomas: Earth and Space Paintings, 1970

MARCH ON WASHINGTON, 1964
Courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries

ADDITIONAL ARTWORKS

1-33, 1962
Morris Louis
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Burton Tremaine
© 2021 Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA),
Rights Administered by Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York, All Rights Reserved.

BLACK POPCORN, 1965
Gene Davis
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Corcoran Collection 
Museum Purchase and exchange
© 2021 Estate of Gene Davis / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

C&O, 1958
Franz Kline
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Burton Tremaine
© 2021 The Franz Kline Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

SHOOT SIX, 1965
Sam Gilliam
National Gallery of Art, Washington 
Corcoran Collection
Gift of Walter Hopps in memory of Bradley Pischel
© 2021 Sam Gilliam / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

UNTITLED, 1964
Philip Guston
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of Musa Guston
© The Estate of Philip Guston, Courtesy Hauser & Wirth

HOMAGE TO THE PANTHERS, 1976
Elizabeth Catlett
Courtesy of Swann Galleries
© 1976 Catlett Mora Family Trust / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

THE CLOWN, 1959
Kenneth Noland
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Wetmore 
© 2021 The Kenneth Noland Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

MANEUVER FOR POSITION, 1947
Bradley Walker Tomlin
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Collection
© The Estate of Bradley Walker Tomlin

SIMBA, 1973
Jeff Donaldson
Courtesy of Kravets Wehby Gallery, New York 
© Estate of Jeff Donaldson

PHOTOS AND EPHEMERA

Afro American Newspapers Archives

Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Evans-Tibbs Collection, Gift of Thurlow E. Tibbs, Jr. Estate, Gift of David C. Driskell 

Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Charles Thomas Lewis

The Columbus Museum
Alma W. Thomas Papers
Gifts of Miss John Maurice Thomas in memory of her parents John H. and Amelia W. Cantey Thomas, and her sister Alma Woodsey Thomas

DC History Center

Ebony Magazine

Mary Beth Edelson
Courtesy of David Lewis Gallery, NY

The Evening Star

Michael Fischer

Roland Freeman

The Friends of Alma Thomas

Martha Jackson Gallery Archives
University at Buffalo Art Galleries

The New York Times

Profiles in Black Achievement: Sterling Brown/Alma Thomas (Filmstrip)
©1973 by Guidance Associates

The Rotograph Company

Pete Souza
The White House, 2016

Scurlock Studio Records, 
Archives Center
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Frank Stewart
Gift of the Artist to the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park

Streets of Washington
streetsofwashington.com

Jan van Raay

The Washington News Company

The Washington Post

Jack Whitten Estate and Hauser & Wirth

“March on Washington” postage stamp used with the permission of the United States Postal Service


VIDEO CLIPS


1933 WORLD'S FAIR NEWSREEL
Wilding Picture Productions

LUNAR MISSION FOOTAGE
Courtesy of NASA 
© National AeronauticS and Space Administration

TODAY SHOW (NBC) 
Interview with Michelle Obama by Jenna Bush 
Shoot date 2/10/2015; Airdate 2/11/2015
© Comcast NBCUniversal 

TWO CENTURIES OF BLACK AMERICAN ART
Produced by Pyramid Films for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art 
© Museum Associates/LACMA

Additional footage from iStock.com and Archives.org

FILMED ON LOCATION


THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY
DC Public Library, Linnea Hegarty

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION
Vivian Djen

F STREET PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Gediyon Kifle


SUPPORTERS

Mirsini Amidon
Russell Baker 
Sohini Baliga
Arthur Bennett
Catherine Bickerstaff
Cheryl Bookout
Rives and Dickson Carroll
Jennifer Cohen
Mary Early
Martha Faibisoff
Samira Farmer
Emily Friedman
Jeffrey Grosman
Grey Gundaker
Dorothy J. Gusler
Laura Guyot
Kimberly Pendergrast Harris
Linnea Hegarty
Eileen Henson
Suzanne Johnson
Alison Luchs
David Linn
Charlotte Mason
David Muir
Ellie Nicoll
Nell Irvin Painter and  Glenn R. Shafer
Pam Phillips
Micah Salb
Steve Sharp
Gary Silberman
Edie Tsong
Jonathan F. Walz
Kate H. Wilson

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Aflac

AE&E - Arts, Equity & Education Fund

DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment

FISCAL SPONSORSHIP

Women in Film and Video Washington, DC

SPECIAL THANKS

Phillip Abraham
Halah Al-Jubeir
Neda Amouzadeh
Sarah Applegate
Laura Baptiste 
Kim Dunbar
Mary Early
Andrea Ellis
Jamie Ember
Ruth Fine
Janet Hicks 
Kati Hondorf 
Melissa Houghton
Kelsie Jankowski
Rachel Jones
Nickie Jordon
Emily Kaplan
Alexandra Lane
Taylor Nemetz
Herbert Niles 
Nicholas Ostness
Jessica Pochesi
David Rozelle
Robbi Siegel
Richard Sorensen 
Roderick Spencer 
Minsung Szymanski 
Susan Talley 
Sarah Tignor
Victoria Valentine 
Erin Walsh
Tiffany Wang
Marc Wehby 
Pixie Windsor
Savannah Wood
Dorit Yaron

Learn more about the film and Miss Thomas' extraordinary life at MissAlmaThomas.com


© Copyright 2021 Jonathan Gann/Reel Plan, LLC