08
Sep
Hey, sis! Guess what? You’ve got to mark your calendar for an amazing evening coming up in September. We’re talking about a celebration of the book Primary: After and With Alma Thomas, where the author Alexis Pauline Gumbs will be in conversation with Bettina Judd. This isn’t just a book talk, it’s an exploration of sisterhood, creativity, and community, all inspired by the iconic artist Alma Thomas.
This free, in-person event is happening on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, so you’ve got plenty of time to plan. Doors open at 7:00 PM, and the event kicks off promptly at 7:30 PM. It’s open to everyone, whether you’re part of the Agnes Scott College community or just looking for a beautiful way to spend a Tuesday night.
The book itself, Primary: After and With Alma Thomas, delves deep into the life and work of Alma Thomas, an influential figure in twentieth-century modern art, famous for her bright, mosaic-like abstract paintings. Alexis Pauline Gumbs challenges the idea that Thomas’s art was separate from her life as a Black woman, revealing how deeply rooted it was in her Black community. Gumbs shows us how “Black” was truly one of Thomas’s primary colors, a beautiful perspective that makes you think.
Gumbs really shines a light on Thomas’s experience as a junior high school teacher in segregated Washington, D.C., where Thomas was a mentor and advocate, creating art programs for Black schoolchildren and galleries for Black artists. In her book, Gumbs becomes a student of Thomas, letting the wonder of Thomas’s work open her up to her own creativity, sistering, daughtering, and the practice of communal transformation. It’s a deep dive into art, history, and personal growth.
You’ll be hearing from Alexis Pauline Gumbs, a poet cherished for her devotion to Black feminist possibility, whose recent book, Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde, was named a best book of the year by TIME and Publisher’s Weekly. Her conversation partner, Bettina Judd, is an interdisciplinary writer, artist, and performer, an Associate Professor of African American Studies at Emory University, whose work focuses on Black women’s creative production and feminist thought. Both of these brilliant women are sure to make for a captivating discussion.
This event is perfect for a solo deep dive, a girls’ night out where you can connect over meaningful art, or even a unique date night for you and your boo. It’s presented by Charis and the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies and Creative Art Departments of Agnes Scott College, so you know it’s going to be a thoughtful and enriching experience.
The gathering takes place at the Dana Fine Arts Center Winter Theater, located at 141 East College Avenue in Decatur, right on the Agnes Scott College campus. The venue is wheelchair accessible, and masks are encouraged but not required. You can snag free parking in the deck on S. McDonough St and Buttrick Dr. Registration is encouraged, and if you have any questions or need accessibility accommodations, just contact info@chariscircle.org or call 404-524-0304.
