"Art can be anything. It could be behavior—as long as it’s beautiful." -- Alma Thomas

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas invites you to see the world through the eyes of this singular figure in the story of twentieth-century American art. Thomas developed her exuberant form of abstract painting after retiring from a long career as a schoolteacher. Taking inspiration from nature, the cosmos, and music for her vibrant, rhythmic art, Alma Thomas incorporated the intuitive approach of gestural abstraction and beaming hues of color field painting into her work, which goes beyond established genres.

Alma Thomas (1891–1978) developed a powerful form of abstract painting late in life. A talented representational artist, she produced brilliantly colored and richly patterned works intimately connected to the natural world.

Included in museum admission.

Image: Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas, 62 in. × 49 3⁄4 in. (157.5 × 126.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.3