MAQ@Home
Click on the image below to download activities relating to the Alma Thomas exhibition. Use crayons, markers, or pencils to complete the activities.
Family Reading Recommendations
Alma’s Art, by Roda Ahmed (author) and Anita Cheung (illustrator)
Alma’s Art is inspired by the African American painter Alma W. Thomas (1891–1978), a treasured expressionist who made her national debut in the art world at age eighty. Alma kept beauty and happiness at the forefront of her painting technique, studying how light and color worked together in the shapes and patterns on her canvases.
Alma’s Dream, by Obiora N. Anekwe (author and illustrator)
Through images and words, Alma’s Dream translates the artistic journey of Alma W. Thomas. Born in Columbus, Georgia, Thomas rose to fame as a prolific abstract artist after retiring from teaching art at a Washington, DC, public school. Her success in her later years reminds readers that dreams can be realized at any moment in one’s life.
Wake Up Our Souls: A Celebration of Black American Artists, by Tonya Bolden (author)
This book showcases the work several Black American artists, including Alma W. Thomas. This brightly designed volume celebrates the unique place of art by Black artists in our culture is celebrated in this brightly designed volume, produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum.
A Book about Color: A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists, by Mark Gonyea (author and illustrator)
Using the analogy of houses on a street, this book explains color theory—from mixing colors to color psychology—to young artists.
Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, by Jeanne Walker Harvey (author) and Loveis Wise (illustrator)
Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her life and is now known as one of the most preeminent painters of the twentieth century. Told from the point of view of the young Alma W. Thomas, readers can follow along as she grows into her discovery of the life-changing power of art.
Color Dance, by Ann Jonas (author and illustrator)
In this creative introduction to color mixing, girls in red, blue, and yellow and a boy in black and white make all the colors of the rainbow through their dances.
The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds (author and illustrator)
Carmela wakes up finally old enough to join her brother on errands for the family. While running the errands, Carmela finds a dandelion growing in the pavement. Her brother tells her to make a wish before blowing away all the white fluff. But what will she wish for?
Dinner at Aunt Connie’s House, by Faith Ringgold (author and illustrator)
Melody is at her Aunt Connie and Uncle Bates’s house for their annual summer dinner, which is full of surprises. First, there is Melody’s new cousin, Lonnie, who has red hair and green eyes. Then, when Melody and Lonnie are playing hide-and-seek, they find Aunt Connie’s other surprise: twelve painted portraits of famous Black American women. They find out that the paintings can speak, and they talk about their courageous and inspiring life stories.
