Richard C. Thomas New Orleans Artist

“Louis Armstrong” by renowned New Orleans artist Richard C. Thomas is on tour in our Baja community. It is a framed print, a rare publisher’s proof, signed and numbered.  It has been donated to Baja Exiles to raise funds for their free spay and neuter clinics in La Mision. It is on auction, touring the community through February and March, to celebrate Armstrong’s amazing contribution to American art and entertainment. It will be at The La Mision Hotel KM 59.5 Saturday, March 2^nd from 6-10pm where it can be viewed and bid on as part of a Mardi Growl celebration with New Orleans food, dancing and music.

Two recognizable features of Louis Armstrong are his trumpet and his smile. Together they are bright and brassy. With a gravelly voice and brassy sounds, Louis Armstrong attracted a generation to believe in a wonderful world full of “trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself what a wonderful world.” Louis Armstrong influenced many but none more profoundly than artist Richard C. Thomas.

Richard C. Thomas came up through Traditional New Orleans Jazz. Struggling as a youth in New Orleans, he had many heroes to emulate. Louis Armstrong is the one he reached for. As far back as age 8 or 9, he remembers wanting to be him. Serendipitous encounters, some too out to believe, shaped the direction of Thomas’ art and life. In 1991 Richard C. Thomas submitted the poster of Louis Armstrong to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Obtaining rights to Annie Leibovitz’ legendary photo of Armstrong, Thomas created the image that is on tour here. Thomas, along with his band of artists and students, painted 41’ murals in the Louis Armstrong International Airport aptly named Louis Armstrong and The Heavenly All-Star Band.

Thomas paints with a unique style. He calls it visual jazz. Like a musician, he trusts the music and goes with it. A fusion of sound, sight and feeling, his art improvises with color and line to create images that pulse to a beat he shares with kids of New Orleans.  He has opened doors for many young students by funding art workshops. Over 800 trash cans in New Orleans have been painted by his students. He is attracted to kids that grew up like him with limited resources. Thomas tells his students to build off what you love. He believes artists are closest to God as they are compelled to create. Their creations manifestations of what God is. Thomas teaches kids how to trust in creativity. He believes human beings are interrelated. We affect lives on purpose.

Today his students are leaders in art, education and communication. They have become teachers, designers, artists, writers, engineers, producers. He proudly mentions a few but the list is many. He speaks of how some of his students have influenced and contributed to projects and institutions like The Bobbie Brown story on HBO, The National Museum of African American History in DC and The Grammy’s.

Richard C. Thomas says he started life as a serious man. Later, he learned to smile. It is of no surprise that, like Armstrong, he picks up the horn too. This is Richard C. Thomas.

You are invited to experience his and Armstrong’s wonderful world by following the tour. The print is up for bid. It is a publishers proof numbered 708/750. Find the auction online bit.ly/bajaexilesauctions or contact Cindi Kirchhoff 619-204-8769 or bajaexiles.com. Learn more about Richard C. Thomas.