New Young Artists Gallery Installation!

EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL: MOSAics inspired by alma thomas

In honor of Black history month in February and Women’s history month in March, artists at J.O. Wilson studied Alma Woodsey Thomas, a pioneering artist and educator. A DC public middle school teacher for 38 years, she was the first graduate of Howard University’s art department. She was also the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the first Black woman to have work acquired by the White House. An abstract expressionist, she avoided political or social commentary, once saying “Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.”

Under the guidance of Karen Kelly and Elizabeth Wyrsch-Ba, the young artists focused on Thomas’s Color Field paintings, achieving a similar effect by using construction paper tesserae to create mosaics.  This introduced them to both the history of mosaics and an understanding of what is meant by “expressionist” art.

The Young Artists Gallery is a rotating exhibit on the ground floor of Hill Center. Swing by to see these projects in person!

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About Hill Center: Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital offers quality programming in a restored Civil War-era hospital commissioned by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. It is a vibrant home for culture, education and city life, and serves as a hub for community enrichment.