Alma Thomas — Biography, Exhibitions, Galleries & Auction Results

palette

Selected Works46

Museum Acquisitions

Whitney

Met

NGA Washington

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Art Institute of Chicago

SFMOMA

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Studio Museum

Crocker Art Museum

Previous Sales 28

Sotheby's

Atmospheric Effect No. 6 , 1971

Sotheby's

Sotheby's

Sotheby's

Pinks of Cherry Blossoms, 1970

Sotheby's

Christie's

Pink of Spring, 1973

Sotheby's

Christie's

A Fantastic Sunset, 1970

$3,922,000

May 2023

Sotheby's

Snoopy Gets a Glance at Mars, 1969

$2,319,000

Nov 2021

Sotheby's

Atmospheric Effect No. 6, 1972

$302,400

Nov 2021

Christie's

Flash of Spring, 1968

$819,000

Mar 2020

Christie's

A Fantastic Sunset, 1970

$2,655,000

Nov 2019

Christie's

Springtime in Washington, 1971

$157,000

May 2008

Christie's

Azaleas in Spring, 1968

Phillips

Swann Auction Galleries

Untitled (Atmospheric Effects Series)

$209,000

Mar 2022

Sotheby's

Snoopy Sees Sunrise on Earth, 1970

$3,780,000

Feb 2026

Bonhams

Red Abstraction, 1959

Bonhams

Bonhams

Bonhams

Christie's

Christie's

Tulips in Spring Sunshine, 1969

Christie's

Phillips

price_check

Market119 auction results

trending_upPaintings Range

$28.7K – $3.9M

19 of 23 paintings lots with prices

calculatePaintings Average

$1.1M

Object-type specific

show_chartPaintings Median

$256K

19 priced paintings lots

calendar_todayLast Paintings Sale

May 2026 · $35.0K

Latest tracked sale in this object type

categoryMarket by Object Type

Paintings: $256K medianWorks on paper: $29.0K median

gavelTop Auction Houses

Christie'sSotheby'sPhillipsLos Angeles Modern AuctionsDoyle New York

menu_book

Publications2

Exhibition Catalog 2

Alma W. Thomas

Yale University Press · 2021

Alma Thomas

Prestel · 2016

gallery_thumbnail

Current Exhibitions1

#8,358 smARThistory

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Alma Thomas

The University of Chicago

Mar 24, 2026 — Jun 22, 2026

Details Website

newspaper

Recent News20

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25 Art Shows Reckoning With the US at 250

Hyperallergic presents a guide to 25 art exhibitions and projects across the United States that reframe and challenge the story of the nation on the o…

exhibitionsJun 12, 2026

As the Country Turns 250, Why Won’t Its Museums Meet the Moment?

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the official America 250 (A250) commission has been taken over by a MAGA-aligned events…

cultureJun 7, 2026

What the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago looks like: public green space, community areas, and a museum full of site-specific art

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will open to the public on June 19, 2025, a date chosen to coincide with Juneteenth, the holiday commemoratin…

exhibitionsJun 2, 2026

46 Museum Shows and Biennials to See This Summer

ARTnews has published a guide to 46 museum shows and biennials to see this summer, highlighting major exhibitions across the globe. Featured artists i…

exhibitionsMay 25, 2026

7 D.C. art exhibits to catch this summer before they close

The article highlights seven art exhibitions in Washington, D.C. that are closing at the end of summer 2025, urging visitors to see them before they e…

exhibitionsMay 21, 2026

Sotheby’s $433 Million Contemporary Evening and Mnuchin Sales Kicked Off New York’s May Marquee Auctions

Sotheby's held two major evening sales in New York—the Mnuchin collection sale and The Now & Contemporary Evening Auction—generating a combined $433.1…

marketMay 15, 2026

Robert Mnuchin's $85.7m Rothko leads Sotheby's $407.5m auction in New York

Sotheby's evening auction in New York on May 13, 2025, realized $407.5 million ($433.1m with fees), led by Mark Rothko's "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1…

marketMay 15, 2026

(BPRW) Getty Awards $1.8M to Increase Access to Black Visual Arts Archives

The Getty Foundation has awarded $1.8 million in grants to eight institutions through its Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, a multi-year program …

policyMay 13, 2026

Sotheby’s May Auctions: Rothko’s $100M Masterpiece Headlines

Sotheby's is holding its most ambitious May auction series in New York, headlined by Mark Rothko's monumental painting *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (195…

marketMay 13, 2026

Look Inside the Art-Filled Home of New York City's Cultural Crusaders

This profile explores the Upper West Side residence of Crystal McCrary McGuire and Raymond J. McGuire, a power couple deeply embedded in New York City…

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Guntersville Museum Welcomes ARTS Works

The Guntersville Museum hosted a recognition ceremony for the 18th annual ARTS Works All-County Student Art Exhibit, organized by the nonprofit Artist…

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Sotheby's May Marquee Sales unveiled | Led by Rothko's $70 - 100M Canvas

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marketApr 29, 2026

Coming to campus this spring? Check out these exhibitions.

The University of Chicago is hosting a diverse slate of art exhibitions across its campus this spring. Highlights include 'A Bestiary of Ancient Nubia…

exhibitionsApr 22, 2026

This influential L.A. collector bought the artists no one else would. The art world is finally catching up

Eileen Harris Norton, a foundational figure in the Los Angeles art scene, is being celebrated with a major exhibition of her collection at Hauser & Wi…

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Must-See Art Exhibitions at EXPO Chicago 2026

EXPO Chicago 2026 marks its 13th edition with a robust program featuring over 130 international galleries alongside significant institutional exhibiti…

exhibitionsApr 14, 2026

100 Masterpieces to See at the Art Institute of Chicago

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newsApr 7, 2026

50 Women Artists You Absolutely Should Know

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Pittsburgh’s ALMA | LEWIS art gallery expands

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localApr 2, 2026

midseaon auctions 2026 analysis jeff koons

Christie’s and Sotheby’s recently concluded their 2026 mid-season contemporary art auctions, signaling a shift toward higher-value inventory in what w…

marketMar 25, 2026

Blanton show reimagines American modernism through private collection of H-E-B chairman Charles Butt

The Blanton Museum of Art has unveiled a new exhibition featuring approximately 80 works of American modernism drawn from the private collection of H-…

exhibitionsMar 6, 2026

history

Past Exhibitions5

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Denver Art Museum

Composing Color

Alma Thomas

100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204, USA

Jan 1, 2025

Through Jan 12, 2025 Composing Color Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum Through Jan 12, 2025 Have a Seat Mexican Chair Design ...

Details

Smithsonian Institution

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas

Sep 15, 2023 — Aug 4, 2024

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas This exhibition provides an intimate view of Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period fr...

Details

Smithsonian Institution

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas

Sep 15, 2023 — Aug 4, 2024

Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas This exhibition provides an intimate view of Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period fr...

Details