Alma Thomas (1891-1978) was a longtime educator and a prolific abstract painter who spent most of her career in Washington, DC. Now, to honor her local legacy, the street on which she lived and worked for seven decades has been renamed Alma Thomas Way.
The Hometown Legacy of Alma Thomas
The new Alma Thomas Way street signs were installed on the corners of 15th and Church Streets and 15th and Q Streets in the United States capital. The signs bookend the block where the artist lived for 70 years. Alongside teaching art at a junior high school for 35 years, Alma Thomas maintained a studio at 1530 15th Street NW. Her parents purchased the red brick home in 1907, when Thomas was 16 years old. She lived there until her death in 1978. The property was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Renowned for her distinctively vibrant abstract paintings, Alma Thomas was a trailblazing figure in 20th-century American art. In 1924, she became the first student to earn a degree in fine arts from Howard University. She was later named the founding vice president of Barnett-Aden Gallery, one of the country’s first Black-owned art galleries.
In 1972, Thomas became the first Black woman artist to present a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Additionally, she was the first Black woman to have her work enter the White House’s permanent art collection.
Street Renaming Aims to “Introduce Local Heroes” to “the Next Generation”
A small street ceremony was held on May 21 to celebrate the renaming of Alma Thomas Way. Charles Thomas Lewis, the artist’s grand-nephew, and Susan Talley, founder of the Friends of Alma Thomas group, were among the attendees.
“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,” District council member Christina Henderson told Culture Type. Brooke Pinto, a fellow council member, added, “This is especially important to me because I live just a block away. It’s really going to be a treat to be able to see [the signs] and honor Alma Thomas every day.”
Henderson and Pinto first introduced the street renaming bill in May 2024. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed it into law in October.
