CISNY and the Borough of Brooklyn Celebrate Black History Month in Tribute to Folk Artist Billie Thomas

February 7, 2005

A watercolor depicting a Southern church, by folk artist Billie Thomas

A crowd of students, community members, art fans, and local dignitaries gathered at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Rotunda today to celebrate Black History Month by paying tribute to the Southern black folk artist Billie B. Thomas. Communities in Schools, New York, Inc. (CISNY) collaborated with the Brooklyn Borough President's Office to organize the event, which featured the first-ever exhibition of Thomas' artworks.

Born in Tennessee, Thomas later moved to Brooklyn, where she lived and produced artwork until her death in the late 1960s. An artist who sold her work at Brooklyn flea markets such as the Fulton Street open air art show, Thomas created pieces that may be characterized as Outsider, or Folk Art. Her work has unfortunately remained undiscovered and underappreciated.

Dr. Roy J. Blash, CISNY's Executive Dir-ector said, "We hope that young people who see this exhibition will be stimulated to explore the era's history as well as works by prom-inent and lesser-known artists."

Narrator Omar Benjamin

Forty-three of Thomas' artworks were on display for the month of February in the Borough Hall Community Room Gallery.

The February 7th event featured a variety of artistic performances, including a narrative poem presented by storytellers Lynnette Braxton and Thelma Thomas, a musical recital by troubadour Roosevelt Credit, a recitation of Langston Hughes poems by Omar Benjamin, and the world-premiere presentation of songs from "The Great Bridge," a new musical by composer Mark Weiser. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz welcomed the audience with a rousing tribute to Brooklyn and artists such as Thomas who made their home in that borough. President Markowitz amazed the audience by citing the fact that least one in every seven Americans can trace their roots back to Brooklyn.

A Brooklyn high school student joins troubadour Roosevelt Credit during his rendition of "This Little Light of Mine."

Students and teachers from Brooklyn's Freedom Academy High School, Manhattan's LaSalle Academy, and several after-school programs filled the Rotunda and responded enthusiastically to the performances given there. Before and after those performances, the students and teachers had a chance to walk through the Community Room Gallery to admire Billie Thomas' works on display.

Also in attendance were Mikhail Pronin, Vice Consul for Cultural Affairs of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation; Dr. Thomas Schmidt, Musical Director at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, who provided musical accompaniment on the piano; and William Howell of the Anthony J. Robbins Foundation.

Throughout the month of February, hundreds of school children, parents, and other visitors viewed the works of Billie Thomas at Borough Hall. The event and exhibition were made possible in part through contributions from the Margaretta Taylor Educational Fund.