AN OVERNIGHT SUCCCESS,
80 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Alma W. Thomas
Alma W. Thomas broke color barriers on and off the canvas, yet did not receive national attention until she was 80.
Born a generation after slavery, Alma Woodsey Thomas grew up in the South, in a home where education was a priority. At 16, with racial tensions high and no further schooling options, her family moved to Washington, DC, where she started her incredible life of firsts: the first Fine Arts graduate from Howard University (1924), the first African-American Woman to mount a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1972), and the first African-American woman to exhibit her paintings in the White House (2009). All the while, she taught art at Shaw Jr. High for 36 years, pioneered educational techniques, travelled the world, and crossed racial barriers.
“Miss Alma Thomas” is the first documentary film that explores Thomas’ incredible life through the lens of curators, art specialists, scholars, and her family, and features award-winning actress Alfre Woodard as the voice of Alma Thomas. Released in conjunction with a major four-city museum retrospective, thousands will have the opportunity to learn of her life, work, and continuing influence.
“MISS ALMA THOMAS” HAS SCREENED AT OVER 40 FILM FESTIVALS WORLDWIDE
First student to graduate from
Howard University with a
fine arts degree
First Black woman to have
a solo show at the
Whitney Museum of Art
First Black woman to have her
work purchased for the
White House's collection
WHY MISS THOMAS?
WHY NOW?
Thomas’ paintings grab the viewer’s attention and form an instant connection to their emotions and mood. While her work is easy to appreciate and quick to understand, her life and struggles are not. Through her passion, she persevered through racism and sexism in the art world to achieve a level of prominence, still rare among African-American artists today.
