Author: Feed Fetcher

Jeffrey Gibson’s ebullient beadwork, Luchita Hurtado’s restitched canvases, Black cowboy history, Barbara T. Smith’s photocopy experimentation, and more to see this season.

A museum visitor reportedly damaged two sculptures in the famous third-century “Terracotta Army” in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

Alma Thomas spent nearly 70 years living on 15th Street NW in Washington, D.C.—a street that now bears her name. The pioneering abstract painter’s former block, between Church Street and Q Street, has officially been renamed “Alma Thomas Way.”

At a ceremony on May 21st, members of the D.C. Council joined friends and family of the artist and local arts advocates to unveil the new street signs. The event was led by council members Christina Henderson and Brooke Pinto, who co-sponsored a bill recognizing Thomas’s legacy in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

“When we do these street renaming projects, it’s in honor of individuals, but it’s also in an effort to try to elevate and introduce local heroes to folks for the next generation,” Henderson told Culture Type.

Born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1891, Thomas moved with her family to Washington, D.C., in 1906. The following year, her parents purchased the red brick house on 15th Street NW that would remain her home for nearly seven decades. Thomase graduated from Howard University’s fine arts program in 1924 and went on to teach art at Shaw Junior High School, while also earning a master’s degree in arts education from Columbia University. During this time, she served as the founding vice president of the Barnett-Aden Gallery, one of the first Black-owned art galleries in the United States.

Thomas retired from teaching in 1960 to focus on her painting. She became known for her color field works, often composed of vibrant, blotch-like marks. Her paintings transformed natural scenes into rhythmic patterns of light and color. She would become closely associated with a local collective of Black artists known as the Little Paris Group, as well as the Washington Color School.

Stars and Their Display, 1972
Alma Thomas

The Studio Museum in Harlem

In 1972, the Whitney Museum of American Art mounted a solo exhibition of her paintings—the first at the institution dedicated to a Black woman. At the time, Thomas was in her early eighties. That same year, the artist was the subject of another major exhibition in Washington, D.C., at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. On September 9, 1972, the then-mayor of D.C., Walter Washington, announced that September 9th would be “Alma W. Thomas Day.” The artist passed away in 1978 at the age of 86.

Thomas’s profile has remained high since her death. In addition to the new street renaming, she has been recently recognized in Washington, D.C., by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which mounted the solo exhibition “Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas”in 2023. Currently traveling, the exhibition will open at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields on June 27th.

The Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island is preparing to receive thousands of images and negatives by the iconic artist who defied 19th-century gender norms.

Olga Dugina and Andrew Dugi have been crafting intricate illustrations since 1989, blending fantasy, folklore, and quiet mystery. Drawing inspiration from Renaissance art and Russian folk imagery, their work is rich in detail and atmosphere, transporting viewers into surreal, storybook worlds. Their ornate style has brought depth to classic tales like *Hamlet* and *1001 Nights*, […]

A new letter argues that arts institutions shouldn’t reject the private sector.

Angelina Jolie, born on June 4, 1975, is an acclaimed American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian, recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. She began her acting career at 16 but initially struggled with auditions, often being told her demeanor was “too dark”. Her breakthrough came with *Hackers* (1995), followed […]

Andrew Salgado’s latest body of work unfolds from a central premise: we are the books we read.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits appeared first on Colossal.

Thomas de Franzoni’s *Echoes in Stone* series is a striking introduction to his architectural photography, defined by its quiet, monochromatic atmosphere. Capturing Berlin’s layered past in early 2025, the images highlight both grand monuments like the Victory Column and overlooked urban spaces, focusing on shadow, texture, and restraint. Beyond this series, Thomas explores architecture through […]

The Pace Gallery CEO and his wife, designer Fairfax Dorn, bought the house in 2021 for $14.3 million.