Alma Thomas

Alma Thomas (1891–1978), Lunar Rendezvous—Circle of Flowers, 1969
Acrylic on canvas, 50 × 48 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. 2015.2. © 2026 Estate of Alma Thomas (Courtesy of the Hart Family) / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Inspired by a photograph of Earth captured from the Apollo 11 Moon landing on July 20, 1969, Alma Thomas painted Lunar Rendezvous by imagining what her favorite garden would look like from space. The mosaic-like rings of color radiate outward, evoking the energetic excitement that followed the historic event. The painting prompts us to see the wonder in the cosmic vastness of space, as well as the familiar beauty of our natural environment.