When I bought a rug from Society6 for my office space in 2020, I just wanted something to make my space cheerful and support African American artists during the pandemic. I also needed to dull the echo that bounced off my beautiful, gleaming hardwood floors during work Zoom meetings.
I didn’t even know what I had.
Until I visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Excitedly I noticed the neon Afrofuturism sign beckoning me to enter the exhibit tucked in a corner. After spending time with Samuel Delaney and Octavia Butler, I rounded a corner. And suddenly I saw an image of the cherished rug that brightens my work days flash by on a screen. I waited for the slideshow to start the sequence again. Yes, there it was — my rug art. “How was my rug connected to Afrofuturism?” I wondered aloud.
Time was short, my brother was ready to move on to Wakanda, so I snapped a photo to Google it later.
From teacher to artist to afrofuturism
My rug is no ordinary rug, and like Aladdin’s it’s really famous. The Eclipse is a painting by Alma Thomas, an African-American artist and teacher. Thomas grew up and worked in Washington, D.C. She became a full-time, professional artist when she was 68 or 69 years old, in 1960, after she retired from teaching.
According to Rest in Pieces, “When Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Thomas was inspired by the historic milestone influencing ‘The Eclipse’. Her paintings were not just her interpretations of celestial bodies and spaces but also her transformative space to imagine herself in a galactic elsewhere free of white supremacy.”
A connection through space and time
It makes so much sense now that I was so drawn to the image as the inspiration and statement piece in my office. Amid the backdrop of protests, the Black Lives Matter movement and the uncertainty of a fast-morphing virus, I was grasping for optimism for a better future —for A future at all.
I love that Thomas showed that you’re never too old to reinvent yourself and pursue your dreams. And that African-Americans are part of the future, are a part of space, are a part of every aspect of the universe — where we often had not been shown. (Enter Lt. Nyota Uhura; she’s represented at the exhibit, of course!)
The Afrofuturism exhibit runs through March 24, 2024. It covers books, music, science, art and much more. Definitely a must see!
And seriously, can someone please make a movie franchise out of Octavia Butler’s book series?! It is beyond past time. 🙏🏾🤦🏾♀️ Helloooooo Ryan Coogler….
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Pinkpodster Ponders 