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