Alma Thomas 2026 Wall Calendar

Inspired by space exploration and the earthly delights of gardens and music, Alma Thomas created brilliant abstractions that place her among the most innovative American painters of the 20th century.

Breaking from realism in the 1950s, she moved through abstraction and into expressionism before finding a niche in a mosaic compositional style and reveling in color theory. With vibrant works such as Lunar Rendezvous-Circle of Flowers and Apollo 12 “Splash Down,” Thomas improvised with light, color, rhythm, and an aerial perspective that interpreted her world in a new way. Thomas was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the first to have her art in the permanent collection of the White House—on display in the Old Family Dining room, a highlight of the public tour. With dazzling paintings, the trailblazing Thomas certainly left her mark upon the history of modern art.