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Earth Sermon - Beauty, Love And Peace

Artist:
Alma Thomas, American, b. Columbus, Georgia, 1891–1978  Search this
Medium:
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions:
72 × 52 1/8 in. (182.9 × 132.4 cm)
Type:
Painting
Date:
1971
Credit Line:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, The Martha Jackson Memorial Collection: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, 1980
Accession Number:
80.107
See more items in:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection
School:
African-American Abstraction/Washington Color School
On View:
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden (Washington, DC), 3rd Floor
Data Source:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2eedd95d8-2ec8-4ce4-a627-c6b9909c6f42
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:hmsg_80.107

Fort Wayne Museum of Art

Container:
Box 43 of 55
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records
See more items in:
Departmental Records
Departmental Records / Box 43
Archival Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e14622

Fort Wayne Museum of Art - Alma Thomas: A Retrospective of Paintings - DECLINED: 3/1997

Container:
Box 1 of 1
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 08-057, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Curatorial Office, Exhibition Records (Declined)
See more items in:
Exhibition Records (Declined)
Exhibition Records (Declined) / Box 1
Archival Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-sia-fa08-057-refidd1e1256

Jacob Kainen papers, 1905-2009, bulk 1940-2001

Creator:
Kainen, Jacob, 1909-2001  Search this
Kainen, Ruth Cole, 1922-2009  Search this
Subject:
Acton, David  Search this
Jordon, Jim  Search this
Agee, William C.  Search this
Butler, Bryce  Search this
Tejera, V. ((Victorino))  Search this
O'Connor, Francis V.  Search this
Gorky, Arshile  Search this
Kalonyme, Louis  Search this
Hopps, Walter  Search this
Frohlich, Newton  Search this
Powell, Richard J.  Search this
Cole, Phoebe  Search this
Holladay, Wilhelmina Cole  Search this
Broun, Elizabeth  Search this
Gilkey, Gordon  Search this
Fine, Ruth  Search this
Berman, Avis  Search this
Thornton, Valerie  Search this
Rand, Harry  Search this
Taylor, Joshua Charles  Search this
Fort Wayne Museum of Art  Search this
Halasz, Piri  Search this
Lunn, Harry  Search this
Jackson, John Baptist  Search this
Harrison, Carol  Search this
Purcell, Ann  Search this
Weber, Joanne  Search this
Solman, Joseph  Search this
Nordland, Gerald  Search this
Ries, Martin  Search this
Pollack, Jerome  Search this
Reynolds, Jock  Search this
Steinberg, Leo  Search this
Holden, Donald  Search this
Taylor, Prentiss  Search this
Morse, Peter  Search this
Addison Gallery of American Art  Search this
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Australian National Gallery  Search this
Baltimore Museum of Art  Search this
Middendorf Gallery  Search this
Smithsonian American Art Museum  Search this
Corcoran School of Art (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
National Gallery of Art (U.S.)  Search this
Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this
British Museum  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Diaries
Transcripts
Videotapes
Visitors' books
Lectures
Prints
Greeting cards
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Jacob Kainen papers, 1905-2009, bulk 1940-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Painting, Abstract -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Printmakers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9025
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211214
AAA_collcode_kainjaco
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211214
Online Media:

Jacob Kainen papers

Creator:
Kainen, Jacob  Search this
Kainen, Ruth Cole (1922-2009)  Search this
Names:
Addison Gallery of American Art  Search this
Australian National Gallery  Search this
Baltimore Museum of Art  Search this
British Museum  Search this
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this
Corcoran School of Art (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Middendorf Gallery  Search this
National Gallery of Art (U.S.)  Search this
Smithsonian American Art Museum  Search this
Acton, David, 1953-  Search this
Agee, William C.  Search this
Berman, Avis  Search this
Broun, Elizabeth  Search this
Butler, Bryce  Search this
Cole, Phoebe  Search this
Fine, Ruth, 1941-  Search this
Fort Wayne Museum of Art  Search this
Frohlich, Newton, 1936-  Search this
Gilkey, Gordon  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Halasz, Piri  Search this
Harrison, Carol  Search this
Holden, Donald  Search this
Holladay, Wilhelmina Cole, 1922-  Search this
Hopps, Walter  Search this
Jackson, John Baptist, 1701-1780?  Search this
Jordon, Jim  Search this
Kalonyme, Louis  Search this
Lunn, Harry, 1933-1998  Search this
Morse, Peter  Search this
Nordland, Gerald  Search this
O'Connor, Francis V.  Search this
Pollack, Jerome  Search this
Powell, Richard J., 1953-  Search this
Purcell, Ann  Search this
Rand, Harry  Search this
Reynolds, Jock  Search this
Ries, Martin, 1926-  Search this
Solman, Joseph, 1909-2008  Search this
Steinberg, Leo  Search this
Taylor, Joshua Charles, 1917-  Search this
Taylor, Prentiss, 1907-1991  Search this
Tejera, V. ((Victorino))  Search this
Thornton, Valerie  Search this
Weber, Joanne  Search this
Extent:
33.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Diaries
Transcripts
Videotapes
Visitors' books
Lectures
Prints
Greeting cards
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Date:
1905-2009
bulk 1940-2001
Summary:
The papers of painter, printmaker, and curator Jacob Kainen measure 33.3 linear feet and date from 1905 to 2009, with the bulk of the material from 1940-2001. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence/subject files including personal correspondence to and from friends and family members and professional correspondence and records concerning Kainen's activities as an artist, curator, teacher, and art collector. The collection also contains biographical material, writings, diaries, calendars, inventories, interview transcripts, printed material, photographs, works of art by other artists, and nine scrapbooks.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of painter, printmaker, and curator Jacob Kainen measure 33.3 linear feet and date from 1905 to 2009, with the bulk of the material from 1940-2001. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence/subject files including personal correspondence to and from friends and family members and professional correspondence and records concerning Kainen's activities as an artist, curator, teacher, and art collector. The collection also contains biographical material, writings, diary and journal entries, calendars, inventories, interview and "dialog" transcripts, printed material, photographs, works of art by other artists, and nine scrapbooks.

Biographical materials include items concerning Kainen's career as a curator and artist, in addition to a useful bibliography, detailed biographical outline, and a copy of an FBI report compiled on him. Also included are five videocassette recordings of Kainen.

Alphabetical correspondence/subject files comprise the bulk of the collection and include both Jacob's and Ruth's correspondence with family, friends, colleagues, artists, art critics, curators, museums, arts organizations, galleries, and many others. There is a significant amount of correspondence with David Acton, the Addison Gallery of Art and Jock Reynolds, William Agee, Australian National Gallery, Baltimore Museum of Art, Avis Berman, the British Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Elizabeth Broun and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bryce Butler, Pheobe Cole, the Corcoran Gallery and School of Art, Richard Field, Ruth Fine, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Newton Frohlich, Gordon Gilkey and the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Arshile Gorky, Piri Halesz, Carol Harrison, Donald Holden, Wilhelmina Holladay, John Baptist Jackson, Jim Jordon, Lou Kantor, Harry Lunn Jr., Middendorf Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Peter Morse, Gerald Nordland, Francis O'Connor, Jerome Pollack, Richard Powell, Ann Purcell, Harry Rand, Martin Ries, Joseph Solman, Leo Steinberg, Prentiss Taylor, Victorino Tejera, Valerie Thornton, Joanne Weber, and numerous family members.

Writings are by and about Jacob Kainen. Kainen's writings include articles, lectures, exhibition catalog essays, notes, travel notebooks, short stories, poems, and written statements about his artistic motivations and justifications. There are writings about Kainen by Avis Berman, Ruth Cole Kainen, and others. The bulk of the numerous diary entries are from Ruth Cole Kainen's diaries, many of which concern Jacob and their family. There are also annotated and revised diary entries. There is one folder of diary entries and one folder of journal entries by Jacob Kainen and two dismantled journal-like notebooks. The papers include daily calendars and travel itineraries from 1972 through 2001.

The papers include transcripts of formal interviews and informal conversations with Jacob Kainen. Transcripts are of informal dinner, telephone, and general conversations between friends, colleagues, artists, and Ruth Cole Kainen. Included are conversations with Avis Berman, Walter Hopps, Harry Rand, Joshua Taylor, and several others. Many of these transcripts were also annnotated by Jacob and Ruth Kainen. Also found are numerous transcripts of more formal interviews with Kainen by art historians, art critics, and students.

There are inventories, appraisals, and lists of sold and not sold paintings, as well as color photographs of some of Kainen's works of art. Also found are inventories of the Kainens' art collection. Printed materials include Kainen's exhibition catalogs and announcements, clippings of articles by and about Jacob Kainen, and an exhibition guestbook.

Photographs are of Kainen with his family and friends, at exhibition openings, and working in his studios. Works of art by others includes handmade greeting cards, limited edition prints, and portfolios given to Jacob Kainen. Nine scrapbooks containing news clippings and exhibition publications document the entirety of Kainen's career as an artist.
Arrangement:
The Jacob Kainen papers are arranged into 11 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1938-2001 (Boxes 1, 32; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence/Subject Files, 1936-2003 (Boxes 1-12, 32-33; 11.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1920s-2002 (Boxes 12-13, 33; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Diaries, circa 1952-2002 (Boxes 13-18, 33-38; 10.0 linear feet)

Series 5: Calendars, 1953-2008 (Boxes 18-20, 38; 1.7 linear feet)

Series 6: Transcripts, circa 1975-1994 (Boxes 20-21, 38; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 7: Inventories, 1927-2001 (Boxes 21-22; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1938-2003 (Box 22, 38, OV 31; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 9: Photographs, 1905-2000 (Boxes 22-25, 38, OV 31; 3.3 linear feet)

Series 10: Works of Art by Others, 1942-2000 (Boxes 25-26, OV 31; 1.2 linear foot)

Series 11: Scrapbooks, 1936-1998 (Boxes 27-30, 38; 1.3 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Jacob Kainen (1909-2001) was a painter, printmaker, and curator who worked primarily in Washington, D.C.

Born on December 7, 1909 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Jacob Kainen moved with his family to New York City in 1918. Kainen studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn from 1927 until 1930, and at the Art Student's League. In the early 1930s, Kainen became involved in social causes and formed close friendships with the early abstractionists, including John Graham, Arshile Gorky, and Stuart Davis. He joined the Artists' Union and a contributor to its journal, Art Front, along with Stuart Davis and Harold Rosenberg. Jacob's participation in the Artists' Union was later investigated by the FBI.

From 1935 until 1942, Kainen worked for the Graphic Arts Division of the Works Progress Administration in New York City and began exhibiting with the New York School. It was during this period that he married Bertha Friedman. Jacob and Bertha had two sons together, Dan and Paul, and divorced in 1968.

In 1942, Kainen made a life-changing decision to leave New York City and move to Washington, D.C. to accept what he thought would be a temporary position as a scientific aide in the Division of Graphic Arts at the Smithsonian Institution. Kainen quickly became Assistant Curator and Curator in 1946. He served as Curator for twenty years, completely reshaping the department and building the graphic arts collection. His print exhibitions brought the work of S.W. Hayter, Josef Albers, Adja Yunkers, Louis Lozowick, Karl Schrag, José Guerrero, Louis Schanker, Werner Drewes, and Boris Margo to Washington audiences - graphic work that might not have been shown that early in the area.

1947 marked the opening of the Washington Workshop Center for the Arts, where Kainen served as a teacher and guide to several important artists, helping to make the workshop a magnet for new talent and instrumental in furthering the careers of several artists. Although Kainen taught Gene Davis and Alma Thomas and introduced Morris Louis to Leon Berkowitz, he never considered himself a member of the "Washington Color School."

In 1949, the Corcoran Gallery of Art held a retrospective of Kainen's prints and three years later Kenneth Noland organized Kainen's first painting retrospective at Catholic University. Kainen's paintings from the 1940s illustrated a shift away from social realism toward abstract expressionism. In 1956, Jacob Kainen received a grant from the American Philosophical society to conduct research in Europe for his monograph on the English woodcut artist, John Baptist Jackson. He traveled to Europe again in 1962 to study paintings and prints from the Mannerist Period.

From 1966 until 1970, Kainen worked as the Curator of prints and drawings at the National Collection of Fine Arts (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum). He married Ruth Cole in February of 1969. Kainen retired from the Smithsonian a year later to devote himself full-time to his art, but continued to serve as a special consultant to the Smithsonian American Art Museum for nineteen years. In 1971 and 1972, Kainen taught painting and the history of printmaking at the University of Maryland. A retrospective of Kainen's paintings was held in 1993 at the National Museum of American Art (SAAM).

Throughout his artistic career, Kainen experimented with different mediums and explored different styles, yet he identified himself as a painter. Jacob Kainen participated in at least twenty-five one man shows and several group exhibitions. His works are in collections across the United States and abroad, including the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the British Museum. He worked in his studio up until the time of his death on March 19, 2001 at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Related Material:
Found among the holdings of the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview of Jacob Kainen conducted by Avis Berman in 1982 for the Archives' "Mark Rothko and His Times" oral history project. Also found are microfilm copies of Bertha Kainen's correspondence with Avis Berman regarding Berman's essay about Jacob Kainen.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels 565, 2147-2149, and 2200) including correspondence, writings by Kainen, and papers relating to the Smithsonian Institution Loyalty Board's investigation of Jacob Kainen from 1942-1954. Most, but not all, of the loaned materials were included in later gifts. Loaned materials not donated at a later date remain with the lender and are not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
Jacob and Ruth Kainen first lent the Archives of American Art material for microfilming from 1973-1981, the bulk of which was included in the later gifts. Papers were then donated in multiple accretions between 1981-2007 by Jacob and Ruth Kainen, and in 2009 from the estate of Ruth Kainen via executor Teresa Covacevich Grana. Also in 2003, eight photographs of Jacob and Ruth Kainen were transferred from the National Portrait Gallery to the Archives of American Art.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Curators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Art teachers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Painting, Abstract -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Printmakers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Diaries
Transcripts
Videotapes
Visitors' books
Lectures
Prints
Greeting cards
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Jacob Kainen papers, 1905-2008, bulk 1940-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kainjaco
See more items in:
Jacob Kainen papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw974ec158d-d417-4d06-931d-44a4af17ab27
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kainjaco
Online Media:

Fort Wayne Museum of Art

Collection Creator:
Kainen, Jacob  Search this
Kainen, Ruth Cole (1922-2009)  Search this
Container:
Box 4, Folder 42-44
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1994-2000, undated
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Jacob Kainen papers, 1905-2008, bulk 1940-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Jacob Kainen papers
Jacob Kainen papers / Series 2: Correspondence/Subject Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98800804e-8f73-4820-81ed-9cdf25ef7643
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-kainjaco-ref141

Beginning

Artist:
Kenneth Noland, American, b. Asheville, North Carolina, 1924–2010  Search this
Medium:
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions:
90 x 95 7/8 in. (228.5 x 243.3 cm)
Type:
Painting
Date:
(1958)
Credit Line:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1966
Accession Number:
66.3878
See more items in:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection
School:
Washington Color School/Formalist Abstraction
Data Source:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py21a4e51ae-f69b-4eab-a370-fb8be2350901
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:hmsg_66.3878

Oral history interview with Art Green

Interviewee:
Green, Art, 1941-  Search this
Interviewer:
Silverman, Lanny  Search this
Names:
Chicago Art and Artists: Oral History Project  Search this
Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource  Search this
Extent:
4 Items (sound files (3 hrs., 36 min.), digital, wav)
102 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2015 September 17-18
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Art Green conducted 2015 September 17-18, by Lanny Silverman, for the Archives of American Art's Chicago Art and Artists: Oral History Project at Green's home in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
Green speaks of growing up in Frankfurt, Indiana; his parents; quilt making and engineering; Necker cubes; early art pursuits; early art education; Fort Wayne Museum of Art; Chicago; Found Titles; Hairy Who; drawing and painting courses; Art Institute of Chicago; silk screening; art school and interests; Chicago imagists; Surrealism; Don Baum; Animal, Vegetable, Mineral; transfers and technique; response to art work; deciding to be an artist; New York; Art Forum; Pop Art; first shows; early influences; abstraction; looking at art; ideal viewer; Nova Scotia; teaching; Canada; signs and ice cream cones; inspiration; painting process; engineering; bridges; politics; Secretary McNamara; color; flames; inspiration; books and magazines; Ray Johnson; puzzles and discovery; Art Expo; the art world; use of technology; patterns; knots; making a living as an artist; self-portraits; and new work. Green also recalls Douglas Craft, Elizabeth Ruprecht, Whitney Halstead, Ray Yoshida, Carolyn Hoyle, George Cohen, Ted Halkin, June Leaf, Robert Frank, Bill Grams, Karl Wirsum, Jim Nutt, Murray Simon, Cynthia Carlson, Bill Schwedler, Marjorie Dell, Roger Brown, Vera Berdich, Thomas Kapsalis, Mogen David, Bill Conger, Evelyn Statsinger, Gary Kennedy, Paul Weighardt, Jim Falconer, Matthew Marks, Phyllis Kind, and Allen Frumkin Gallery.
Biographical / Historical:
Interviewee Art Green (1941- ) is an painter and educator in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Interviewer Lanny Silverman (1947- ) is a curator at the Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire audio recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Educators -- Canada  Search this
Painters -- Canada  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.green15
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw906053243-e41f-4770-bfbf-879b333becae
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-green15
Online Media:

Alma Thomas papers

Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Names:
Art in Embassies Program (U.S.)  Search this
Martha Jackson Gallery  Search this
Bader, Franz, 1903-1994  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Johnson, Nathalie J. Cole  Search this
Sarg, Tony, 1882-1942  Search this
Tarbary, Celine  Search this
Taylor, Joshua Charles, 1917-  Search this
Thomas, J. Maurice (John Maurice), 1900 or 1901-  Search this
Extent:
5.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Audiocassettes
Video recordings
Photographs
Date:
circa 1894-2001
Summary:
The papers of Washington, D.C. painter and art educator Alma Thomas, date from circa 1894-2001 and measure 5.5 linear feet. The papers document Thomas's work as a teacher, and her development and success as a painter of the Washington Color School, through biographical material, letters, notes and writings, personal business records, exhibition files, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographs, an audio recording, and two video recordings.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of Washington, D.C. painter and art educator Alma Thomas, date from circa 1894-2001 and measure 5.5 linear feet. The papers document Thomas's work as a teacher, and her development and success as a painter of the Washington Color School, through biographical material, letters, notes and writings, personal business records, exhibition files, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographs, an audio recording, and two video recordings.

Biographical material includes identity cards, chronologies, an audio recording including a biographical account, and scattered documentation of Thomas's education and teaching careers with D.C. Public Schools, Howard University, and Thomas Garrett Settlement in Wilmington, Delaware. Also found are records relating to Thomas's participation in a summer marionette class taught by Tony Sarg in 1934, and a tour of European art centers which Thomas took in 1958.

Letters relate primarily to the exhibition of Thomas's work and related events and are from galleries, museums, other art institutions, colleagues, and friends including Franz Bader, Adelyn Breeskin, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Howard University Gallery of Art, Martha Jackson Gallery, Nathalie J. Cole Johnson, Vincent Melzac, Celine Tabary, and Joshua Taylor.

Notes and writings include four notebooks and autobiographical writings by Thomas, a "Birthday Book," and an annotated engagement calendar. J. Maurice Thomas's writings about Alma Thomas, her research for a bibliography on James Weldon Johnson, and writings by others, including Jacob Kainen, about Alma Thomas, are also found here.

Exhibition files contain a wide variety of documentation for many group and solo exhibitions of Thomas's work from the early 1950s through a 1998-2000 traveling retrospective exhibition, including solo exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1972. The records include letters from Franz Bader Gallery, David Driskell at Fisk University, and Vincent Melzac. Photographs include Thomas with individuals including William Buckner, Jeff Donaldson, David Driskell, James W. Herring, and Vincent Melzac. Also found is a photograph of the 1951 Little Paris Studio Group picturing Lois Mailou Jones, Celine Tabary, Alma Thomas, and others. Two video recordings are of events related to the 1998-2000 retrospective at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and the Columbus Museum of Art. Records documenting a 1981-1982 exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, A Life in Art: Alma Thomas, includes the script of a video written by Adolphus Ealey.

Personal business records include price lists, gift and loan receipts, and files concerning the Art in Embassies Program, the Martha Jackson Gallery, a benefit auction for the Corcoran School of Art, and the designation of the Thomas family home in Washington, D.C. as a historic property.

Eleven scrapbooks document Thomas's teaching career through the activities of the art classes she taught at Shaw Junior High School.

Printed materials include announcements and catalogs for exhibitions and other events; clippings which document Thomas's career and subjects of interest to her; Christmas cards featuring block prints designed by Thomas; and other programs and publications featuring Thomas.

Photographs are of Alma Thomas, family, and friends and colleagues including Sam Gilliam, James V. Herring, and Nathalie V. Cole Johnson; art classes taught by Thomas; Thomas's homes in Columbus, Georgia and Washington, D.C.; and exhibitions not documented in Series 4: Exhibition Files, including photographs of Alma Thomas at an opening at Barnett Aden Gallery with Alonzo Aden and others.
Arrangement note:
The papers have been arranged into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1911-2001 (Box 1; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Letters, circa 1930-2001 (Boxes 1-2; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Notes and Writings, circa 1920s-circa 1998 (Box 2; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1951-2000 (Boxes 2-3, OV 7; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, circa 1950s-1994 (Box 3; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1908-2000 (Boxes 3-5, OV 7; 1.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1930-1946 (Box 5; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1894-2001 (Boxes 5-6; 0.6 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
Washington, D.C. painter and art educator Alma Thomas (1891-1978) was known for her abstract paintings filled with dense patterns of color, and was considered a major artist of the Washington Color School.

Thomas was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1894, and was the eldest of the four daughters of John Harris Thomas and Amelia Cantey Thomas. The family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1906 and Thomas was first introduced to art classes at Armstrong Technical High School. Following her graduation in 1911 she took a course in kindergarten teaching at the Miner Normal School, and subsequently worked as a substitute teacher in the Washington, D.C. public school system until 1914, when she took a teaching position on the Eastern shore of Maryland. From 1916 to 1923 she taught kindergarten at Thomas Garrett Settlement House in Wilmington, Delaware.

Thomas originally enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C. as a home economics major in 1921, but after studying under Lois Mailou Jones amd James V. Herring in Herring's newly established art department, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art in 1924, and became the first person to graduate from the program. Thomas then began her teaching career at Shaw Junior High School in Washington, D.C. that lasted from 1924, until her retirement in 1960. During this time she established community arts programs that would encourage her students to develop an appreciation of fine arts. Activities included marionette programs, distribution of student-designed holiday menu cards for dinners given for soldiers at the Tuskegee Veterans' Hospital, art clubs, lectures, and student exhibitions. In 1943 she became the founding vice president of Barnett Aden Gallery, which was established by James V. Herring and Alonzo Aden and was the first integrated gallery in Washington, D.C.

In 1934 Thomas earned an M.A. degree in Art Education from Columbia University. At American University in Washington, D.C., she studied creative painting under Joe Summerford, Robert Gates, and Jacob Kainen from 1950 to 1960, and began to break away from representational painting and experiment more seriously with Abstract Expressionism. In 1958 she participated in a tour of the art centers of Western Europe under the auspices of the Tyler School of Fine Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Following her retirement from teaching in 1960, Thomas devoted herself full-time to painting, and continued to develop her signature style. She was inspired by nature and the desire to express beauty through composition and color, and refused to be constrained by societal expectations related to her race, gender, and age, achieving her greatest success in the last decade of her life. Her work was exhibited at the Dupont Theatre Art Gallery, Franz Bader Gallery, and the Howard University Gallery of Art, before she was honored in 1972 with exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Thomas's work has been exhibited at the White House and can be found in the permanent collections of major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Separated Materials note:
In 1979, J. Maurice Thomas loaned papers for microfilming. Most, but not all, of the loaned material was later donated and is described in this finding aid. Loaned materials not donated at a later date are available on reels 1541-1543 and are not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
J. Maurice Thomas, the artist's sister, loaned portions of the collection for microfilming in 1979. Most, but not all of this material was then later donated in several accretions by J. Maurice Thomas, between 1979 and 2004. Charles Thomas Lewis, Thomas' nephew, gave additional papers in 2010.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Educators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Topic:
Painting, American  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Washington Color School (Group of artists)  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
African American educators  Search this
African American painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Audiocassettes
Video recordings
Photographs
Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.thomalma
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98cd54656-ee02-4a0d-81ad-6db24f1be010
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-thomalma
Online Media:

Letters

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet (Boxes 1-2)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1930-2001
Scope and Contents:
This series consists primarily of incoming letters from colleagues and art institutions concerning the exhibition of Thomas's work and related activities; there are only three copies of outgoing letters written by Alma Thomas found in the folders for 1972, 1973, and 1977.

There are letters from individuals, galleries, museums, and educational institutions including Franz Bader and Franz Bader Gallery; Adelyn Breeskin and the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art; Harold Hart and Martha Jackson Gallery; Vincent Melzac and the Corcoran Gallery of Art; the Columbus Museum; Howard University Gallery of Art; Fisk University; and Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

Also found are scattered letters from Valliere Auzenne, poet Nathalie J. Cole Johnson, Celine Tabary, and Joshua Taylor. Following Alma Thomas's death, J. Maurice Thomas dealt with the various galleries interested in exhibiting her sister's work and annotated many of the letters in this series.
Arrangement:
Letters are arranged chronologically.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.thomalma, Series 2
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98a76380e-13e9-4e99-9721-4c747a0ae751
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref689

Exhibition Files

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Extent:
0.8 Linear feet (Boxes 2-3, OV 7)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1951-2000
Scope and Contents:
Exhibition files document Thomas's solo and group exhibitions through letters, lists of artwork, loan records, receipts, printed material such as clippings, exhibition announcements, and catalogs, and photographs.

Individual correspondents from this series include Franz Bader, David Driskell, and Vincent Melzac. In addition to photographs of installations, there are photographs of Thomas at exhibition openings, including her solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum, and photographs of her pictured with individuals including William Buckner, Jeff Donaldson, David Driskell, James W. Herring, and Vincent Melzac. Also found is a photograph of the 1951 Little Paris Studio Group including Lois Mailou Jones, Celine Tabary, and Thomas.

The file for Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings contains two video recordings related to this exhibition at two separate locations: the Columbus Museum and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.thomalma, Series 4
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99db92f4d-0990-4ef8-a66d-9eb4099204c7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref691

Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings (1998), Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Letters

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 18
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1994-1997
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Alma Thomas papers / Series 4: Exhibition Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c36e2002-4196-41d9-9167-b789c195c414
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref828

Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings (1998), Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Letters

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 19
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1997-1999
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Alma Thomas papers / Series 4: Exhibition Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw929a1167f-ae3e-4d68-85b5-09594f367300
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref829

Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings (1998), Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Printed Material

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 20
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1998
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Alma Thomas papers / Series 4: Exhibition Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw962beb568-1c60-42b7-83aa-b07fc8338386
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref830

Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings (1998), Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Printed Material

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 21
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1998
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Alma Thomas papers / Series 4: Exhibition Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d711556f-61f1-449b-83bc-208b48d15f20
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref831

Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings, Fort Wayne Museum of Art and Columbus Museum, Video Recordings

Collection Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Extent:
2 Videocassettes (S-VHS)
Container:
Box 3, Folder 26
Type:
Archival materials
Moving Images [31027000830535]
Videocassettes (s-vhs)
Date:
1998-2000
Scope and Contents:
Video recording of the exhibition at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in 1998; and a video recording of a lecture given by Sachi Yanaru-Rizzo at the opening of the exhibition in Columbus in October 2000.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Alma Thomas papers / Series 4: Exhibition Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c13b7c42-6ea6-4e87-aec8-a3d31a274b5f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-thomalma-ref836

Fort Wayne Museum of Art

Collection Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987 (bulk 1951-1987). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Dorothy Dehner papers
Dorothy Dehner papers / Series 2: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw937612daf-42b0-4e64-ac02-aa3f7489a07c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-dehndoro-ref202

(Reel 796)

Collection Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 29
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1973-1974
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987 (bulk 1951-1987). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Dorothy Dehner papers
Dorothy Dehner papers / Series 2: Correspondence / Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e1c2ab4c-9764-49fa-bd9f-174e07b91b4f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-dehndoro-ref203

(Reel 829)

Collection Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 30
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1974
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987 (bulk 1951-1987). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Dorothy Dehner papers
Dorothy Dehner papers / Series 2: Correspondence / Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95d641c1b-083d-4a72-8dab-b1b7ac01237b
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-dehndoro-ref204

(Reel 1269)

Collection Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 31
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1974-1975, undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987 (bulk 1951-1987). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Dorothy Dehner papers
Dorothy Dehner papers / Series 2: Correspondence / Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw966d58cc2-030c-4032-be30-2227225fb91f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-dehndoro-ref205

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