Black Voices & Visions on view through 04/03/26 at The Gallery at the Attucks
“Rhythm of the Stage” featured artist on view through 10/16/26 at The Gallery at the Attucks
Union Street Gallery featured artist, City Hall Building, 810 Union Street, Norfolk, VA 23510 through June 30, 2026
Utility Box artist 2026 Southside – To be installed June 2026
Ralph Thomas is a Norfolk, VA based artist. Ralph spent 20yrs in the U.S. Navy and is a self-taught artist. Thomas was raised in the heart of N.C.Durham’s South Side, where his love for painting first sparked with a childhood paint-by-numbers set. “That joy turned into a lifelong God gifted talent for me to tell stories, preserve memories and give a voice to stories that are often overlooked. My art is rooted in folk tradition, but it is also deeply personal. I work primarily in oil, blending other materials like acrylic, pastel, and moss to add life to my paintings.”
Thomas’ work has been showcased at renowned venues such as the former Gallery Ukwensi in Ghent, Art Central in Hampton and The Virginia Beach Art Center, where he has earned multiple awards.
In 2023, ‘HBCU HIGH STEPPIN’ honoring the legacy of HBCU marching bands, was featured at the Virginia Executive Mansion as part of ‘The Art Experience’. This piece was also selected in 2026 to appear on a vinyl wrap on the Southside of Norfolk, VA. (pictured below)
Thomas contributed a suite of jazz-inspired paintings to benefit the Jazz Legacy Foundation, supporting high school music programs in 2017. You’ll often find Thomas inspiring others at Aspire Gallery Church Street, where he often works with Gallery Director Joan Rhodes Copeland to mentor youth and fellow artists in the community and share a smile with everyone he meets.
HBCU High Steppin’
