Thomas Blackshear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Blackshear II
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Thomas Blackshear II at work in his studio
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Thomas Richman Blackshear II
November 14, 1955 Waco, Texas, United States
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| Occupation | Artist |
| Years active | 1987-present |
Thomas Richman Blackshear II (born November 14, 1955) is an amazing African-American artist. He creates beautiful paintings, sculptures, and designs for stamps and ornaments. His art often shows themes related to African-American history and Western American life. You can see his paintings in many churches.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Thomas Blackshear was born in Waco, Texas. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He loved art and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Later, he attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
After finishing his studies in 1977, he worked for Hallmark Cards for a year.
Artistic Career and Famous Works
Thomas Blackshear's designs have been shown in famous places like the Smithsonian Institution. His art is also part of many museum collections. He has designed postage stamps and even album covers for music groups.
Designing Postage Stamps
Blackshear has created many illustrations for postage stamps issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS). These stamps celebrate important people and moments in history.
Black Heritage Series
He designed several stamps for the Black Heritage series. These stamps honor important African-American figures.
- Jean Baptiste Point du Sable – issued in 1987
- James W. Johnson – issued in 1988
- Asa Philip Randolph – issued in 1989
- Ida B. Wells – issued in 1990
- Dorothy Height – issued in 2017
Other Notable Stamps
Blackshear also designed stamps for other special series:
- A stamp honoring the famous boxer Joe Louis in 1993.
- Stamps for the Legends of American Music series, featuring Jazz Musicians like Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. These were released in 1995.
- Stamps for Hollywood's Golden Era Movie series, showing classic films like The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. These came out in 1990.
- Stamps featuring Classic Movie Monsters like Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster. These were issued in 1997.
- A stamp for actor James Cagney in 1999.
- A stamp for writer James Baldwin in 2004.
- A stamp honoring Mother Teresa in 2010.
In 1992, an exhibit of his Black Heritage stamp artwork started touring. It first opened at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Blackshear also illustrated a USPS book called I Have A Dream: A Collection of Black Americans on U.S. Postage Stamps.
Art in Music and Video Games
Thomas Blackshear's artwork has been used for the cover of the American rock band The Killers's sixth album, Imploding the Mirage (2020). His original oil paintings, which are similar to the ones used for The Killers' album, can be seen at The Broadmoor Galleries in Colorado Springs. He also created art for video game boxes, including the game Karateka (1984).
Museum Collections
Several of Blackshear's paintings are displayed in museums:
- His oil painting Forgiven (1991) is part of the collection at the Museum of Biblical Art, Dallas.
- His painting Now What? (2008) is at the Booth Western Art Museum.
- His art is often featured at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Personal Life
Thomas Blackshear and his wife, Ami Beth Smith, met while they were studying at the American Academy of Art College in Chicago. They have one son and live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Blackshear has been a Christian since he was young. He believes that his marriage and success as an artist are blessings from God. He once said, "So many things that have come my way during my career are blessings from God."
Awards and Honors
Thomas Blackshear has received many awards for his amazing artwork:
- 2020: Inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame.
- 2013: Received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
- 2018: Won the Artist Choice Award at the Gene Autry Masters of the West Show.
- 2019: Received the James R. Parks Trustees Purchase Award for his painting “Wild West Show!”
- 2022: Awarded the Express Ranches Great American Cowboy Award for his painting “Two Americans of the Old West” at the Prix de West.
- 2024: Won the Prix de West Purchase Award for his painting “A Much Needed Break.”
- 2024: Received the Artist Excellence Award sponsored by Art of the West magazine.
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Blackshear para niños
