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Image: Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.3
Past

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

March 24 – July 5, 2026

Alma Thomas (1891–1978) is a singular figure of twentieth-century American art. She developed her form of abstraction – characterized by the dazzling interplay of pattern and hue – late in life, after retiring from a long career as a schoolteacher. Her vibrant and rhythmic art transcended established genres, incorporating elements of gestural abstraction and color field painting and creating a style distinctly her own.

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas draws on the extensive holdings of the artist’s paintings at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and offers an intimate view of Thomas’s evolving practice during her most prolific period, from 1959 to 1978. At a deeply politicized moment in American life, Thomas’s abiding sources of inspiration became the cosmos, nature, and music. As she stated, “Through color I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.” The exhibition invites visitors to see the world through the eyes of Alma Thomas.

Support

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Generous support has been provided by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Chris G. Harris, the Wolf Kahn Foundation, and Susan Talley.

Support for the Smart’s presentation of Composing Color is provided by Gary Metzner and Scott Johnson, and an anonymous donor. Additional support is provided by the Smart Museum’s Board of Governors, and SmartPartners.

Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Installation view, "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2026. Photo by Michael Tropea.
Presented in the Elisabeth and William M. Landes Gallery, and the Richard and Mary L. Gray Gallery.
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