​This year marks 25 years since my father, artist Oscar Thomas, transitioned from his physical form. I wanted to do something special to honor his commitment to the community and the arts. For decades, my father’s artwork has graced the walls of Liberty City, Opa-locka, Little Havana, and Historic Overtown. His most prominent and recognizable landmark piece was the Dr. Martin Luther King mural on the corner of 62nd Street and 17th Avenue entitled Prince of Peace. For more than 30 years, it was a staple in the Liberty City community and was a constant reminder of Dr. King’s nonviolence principles. Other notable murals still on display today include the Harry Belafonte and Dr. King mural at the Belafonte TACOLCY Center, and The Summit of the America’s mural located at Maximo Gomez Domino Park in which he completed with student volunteers at Southwest Sr. High School. I would be remiss if I did not mention the 120- by 30-foot mural that my father painted on the southside of the Lyric Theater, which took him three years to complete.
 
I had the pleasure of meeting Bayunga Kialeuka, Amadlozi Gallery Manager at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center who connected me with Managing Director Mr. Marshall Davis and Assistant Center Director Mr. Theodore Harrell. In meeting with the men, I shared my desire to honor my father and was presented with the opportunity to conduct an exhibition and reception in his honor. Below is the press release for the Oscar Thomas exhibition. 
 
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center presents We the People, an art exhibit and memorial honoring prolific Miami muralist, Oscar Thomas, on the 25th anniversary of his passing. We the People is a multi-media biographical project celebrating Thomas' life and legacy curated by Dr. Tasha Thomas-Straughter. The exhibition features Thomas' original artwork spanning three decades, a photography collection of his murals in South Florida history, never before seen videos, and a tribute showcase, curated by fine art painter and muralist, Addonis Parker, highlighting local and international artists inspired by Thomas' legacy.
 
The exhibit will be held in the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center’s Amadlozi Art Gallery and the Wendell A. Narcisse Performing Arts Theater. We the People and the tribute showcase will be on exhibit April 23, 2022 to June 5, 2022. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. A gallery reception featuring live music, light refreshments, and book launch of Oscar Thomas Miami’s Beloved Visual Artist: His Life and Legacy by Dr. Tasha Thomas-Straughter will be held on on Saturday, May 21, 2022, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Reception tickets are $10 and are available on Eventbrite.
 
The exhibit reflects Thomas’ entire life’s work starting from his hometown in Costa Rica. The exhibit highlights his beginnings in the 1970’s, his influence in the 1980’s, and his trajectory in the 1990’s. Thomas’ murals have graced the walls of Liberty City, Opa-locka, Little Havana, and Historic Overtown. His most prominent and recognizable landmark piece was the Dr. Martin Luther King mural entitled "Prince of Peace" on the corner of 62nd Street and 17th Avenue.
 
“Oscar Thomas’ legacy represents an important part of Miami’s art history,” Marshall L. Davis, the Center’s Managing Director explains. “We’re proud to host We the People and to tell Thomas’ story.”
 
We the People is curated by Dr. Tasha Thomas-Straughter, daughter of the exhibiting artist Oscar Thomas. Dr. Thomas-Straughter is a researcher, published author, and is debuting as a curator to honor the 25th anniversary of her father’s paintings. She has documented her journey into her father's work on social media at #FindingMyFathersPaintings.
 
We the People is sponsored by The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, Sunshine Health, Aarango Billboard & Construction and Four Eyes Publishing.
 
For inquiries, please contact the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center at (305) 638-6771 or [email protected]. For more information, visit AHCACMiami.org. For high resolution image of Oscar Thomas, click here. Photography by Jeffery Salter.
 
About the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
Part of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1975 to serve as the nesting ground for emerging talent in the performing and visual arts in the heart of Liberty City. By providing quality instruction, inspiration, and encouragement to young people within the community, the Center has fulfilled its mission for more than 40 years, and everyday creates a means for youth to discover their artistic talents. Visit www.ahcacmiami.org and follow on social media @ahcacmiami and #AHCACMiami.
 
About the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, diversity, access, and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting equitable opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Peacock Foundation, Inc. and The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium, and the Tourist Development Council. For information visit www.miamidadearts.org. #

​It is crazy how one action, event or circumstance can activate and set things back in motion. In 2017, I started on a journey to find my father’s paintings. My employer approved a month long sabbatical to allow me to work on this project uninterrupted. What an amazing experience it was and has been, words cannot describe how overwhelmed I have been with emotions. The project revealed to me so many wonderful things about my father’s life. In my naïve mind, I thought in one month I would able to compile enough content, information and artwork to pull together a piece that would represent my fathers’ lifetime achievements. Now, I laugh at the thought! But don’t get me wrong, it was a marvelous first step in the right direction but yet far from what I needed based on what I had envisioned. In my quest, I met so many inspiring and caring people who were connected to my father in so many different ways. I must say, they all had one thing in common, they all loved him. Men and women alike spoke of my father’s kind and giving heart. They felt drawn to him for his free spirit and compassionate demeanor. They described him as genius, talented and a master of his craft. Oscar Thomas is his name. He was all of that and so much more. I was fully embedded into finding his artwork. In his lifetime, my father  painted at least one painting a day. Imagine 365 paintings a year for decades! It shows me that he is alive in the homes of thousands of people around the world who admired him and his work. Thus far, I have been successful in every aspect of my life; personal, career and family.  Life was great and I was fulfilling my purpose. When I thought things could not get any better, my boyfriend of several years Darris Straughter unexpectedly asked me to be his wife. I was now engaged to be married and was enjoying the moment and sharing the pleasant news with friends and family. However, the joy abruptly came to a halt when life threw me a curb ball after my fiancé became the victim of gang violence while heading to meet me after a Bridal Expo. It was January 6, 2018, at approximately 4 o’clock in the afternoon on a beautiful sunny Saturday. As a result of the tragic incident, he  was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, Florida. The examination revealed a total of 9 gun shot wounds that fractured his radius and ulna, the two bones in his right forearm and the remaining bullets in his back narrowly missing his spinal cord. He survived but is now paralyzed from the chest down. Less than two weeks after being released from the hospital we wed at the Ancient Spanish Monastery in front of 75 close family and friends. On our special day, in honor of my father, we commissioned Dr. Ronald McDowell, to paint our portrait at the wedding. I also had a gallery of my father’s artwork on display. Many paintings were  loans and/or donated for the special day. The project that was so dear to my heart would have to be set aside, and my husband’s rehabilitation took its place and became my core focus. Although I had to shift gears, my father’s project weighted heavy on my mind. I could not get it out of the forefront of my life because  people from all over the world kept reaching out to me regarding my dad’s work. My husband and I purchased our first home together and moved in 2019. This has drastically improved our quality of life. If anything, we could take away from 2020 is to reprioritize one’s life and do what you love. That year taught us all a lesson that life is fragile and short. By the end of the year, I was committed to reactivating the project and committed to starting out strong in 2021. In doing so, I decided to post my father’s artwork in celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s. holiday. The feedback and personal messages I received was reassurance that it was the right thing to do. I personally do not believe in coincidences but rather in faith.  This is what I mean, this years for the very first time my employer, the same  one that originally approved for me to take a paid month long sabbatical to support my father’s project, decided to feature my story for Black History Month. I have been granted an opportunity to  share my father’s artwork and this journey with it’s 10k plus employees. I am excited to be in a place where I can see the finish line. What is  even more rewarding is that I get to finish what I started just in time for the 25th anniversary of my dad’s passing.   

My sabbatical experience has been life changing to say the least. I am so grateful to my employer for affording me the opportunity to pursue such a personal and rewarding project in memory of my father. This past November I coauthored my first published book entitled On the Road to Victory-Our Struggle as Immigrants in America with my mother Dulcelina Moore. The book is a combination of a memoir and biography of her life and my grandmother’s journey from Costa Rica to the United States. After this huge project was completed, I began to get signs prompting me to do something equally as special for my father.  I had to preserve his name and his legacy as an internationally recognized muralist and a local artist residing in Miami, Florida.

This year marks 20 years since my father passed away and in my heart I knew I had to do something very special to honor him. He was an extraordinary father who was well-known as an artist throughout Miami. He was also recognized internationally for his murals and other artistic work.  I had an obligation to preserve his legacy and in doing so, I started racking my brain. Suddenly it hit me, why not write a book about him and showcase some of his work.  I started some very basic research when I realized that this was going to be a huge undertaking. I was going to need some time to pull this off.  I was only 15 years old when he died and though I knew he was a great artist, I underestimated his impact on the community. In addition, I did not have in my possession his paintings. I knew I had a lot of work to do. Since my sabbatical leave, I found over 100 articles that featured my father; including articles in The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, The Miami Times, The Biscayne Times just to mention a few. My favorite find was a 1989 audio recording in the History Miami Museum archives by anthropologist, art historian, and author Dr. Brent Cantrell. To think this all started with a random visit to the site in which the receptionist encouraged me to reach out to the archivist to see if my father’s work was part of the collection. I did, and Iater learned that there was an audio recording interview with my dad.  It was an exhilarating feeling. I was so emotional that I cried when I heard my father’s voice again after 20 years. In the recording, I was reminded that he literally painted every day. We had an art studio in our house and my dad owned his own art gallery. That meant a minimum of 365 paintings a years for over 25 years. In addition before he passed away there were over 100 painting in his art studio. With that information, I started a #findingmyfatherspainitng social media campaign.  Before I knew it, I was getting messages from friends of friends and all sort of people who owned my father’s work. During my sabbatical I was able to meet with these people interview them and photograph my father’s artwork, with their permission, to be included in his biography/art portfolio.
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I also had the opportunity to travel to Panama and his hometown of Costa Rica, where I found his first mural of the Last Supper that was commissioned when he was only 19 years old. On this journey, I met family members I never knew I had, interviewed my father’s coworkers, and was welcomed into the homes of dozens of private collectors of my father’s work. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life, thus far. The sabbatical leave has opened up Pandora’s Box. As recent as this past holiday weekend, I was contacted regarding my father’s mural displayed in Little Havana, Florida. It showcases the mural that celebrated the first summit of the Americas held in Miami, Florida during the Clinton Administration. It depicts the 33 heads of state, many of which were of mainly minority and African descent. This mural has been on display for over 20 years and there has been talks of destroying it opposed to protecting it. In addition to interviewing and documenting my father’s work I am now fighting to keep his current murals on display. You can support my mission by signing the online petition and encouraging your family and friends to do the same.

Online Petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/351/537/926/
Website http://www.oscarthomassr.com/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIgvtMfZrZY
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SaveDominoParkMural/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/oscarthomas.sr/
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!
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My 4 week sabbatical is officially over but the journey is just the beginning. I was given 1 entire month to harness all my time and energy into one focus and that is my father. Although it is stressful going back to the hustle and bustle and 4 weeks’ worth of work waiting on you it was all worth it. This experience was everything I expected and MORE!  If I had to describe it I would say it is like going on a hunt for ONE THING and discovering something entirely different and bigger than what you imagined. This project that started off with me cataloging and finding my father’s painting morphed into something much deeper than that! I am even more focused and energized than when this journey was initiated. All my efforts have been paying off and I am excited and thankful for all the people that I have met and reconnected with and who have helped me along the way. I won’t be able to dedicate 100% of my time on my project but I will continue!  
As I reflect on all that I have accomplished I am very much overwhelmed, grateful, and excited about what the future holds. I am amazed at the new relationship that I have with my father. As crazy as it sounds, it is as if I am rekindling our father-daughter bond which was quite strong to begin with. Meeting people from all walks of life that have been influenced by my father has been an uplifting and joyous journey. With each person that I have met, it is a mixture of familiarity as they describe their relationship with my dad but there is also something new that I would take away from the interviews/conversations. One person described my father as quiet another adventurous, I related to both. The stories that were shared were funny, some sad, and all intriguing.  Let’s not even talk about the art. The more pieces that I find or photos of murals that I see the more I am reminded how effortless his stroke was yet the results were masterful.
During my 4 week journey I traveled to 3 countries, 5 provinces, and over a dozen towns and cities! I enjoyed every moment and opportunity to admire my father’s work and the people that have invested in his talents. I would say one of the stand out moments was driving 3 hours in the mountains of Costa Rica and being able to find one of the first murals my father painted as a young adult. Another exciting moment was meeting family on my father’s paternal side. I met with so many of them and still have more to meet. Finally, being able to visit with my stepmom Barbara and stepsister Buffy was another great memory. My dad was all about family and all about LOVE!
I ended my sabbatical the same place it began and that is in Costa Rica where he called home! I would have never had the opportunity to accomplish so much and build on the momentum of each interaction if it had not been for my employer Charles River granting me this amazing opportunity. I am excited to compile, organize, and catalog all the work that I have researched and gathered in the past month to ultimately share with the world. Starting with the launch of www.oscarthomassr.com
Again thank you to all of those who have supported my journey. If you have a private art piece or have worked with my father in the past, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. To stay current with me and my projects, please visit my website at www.tashathomas.org and follow me on Instagram at @dr.tasha.thomas or look up #findingmyfatherspaintings #oscarthomassr

After picking up my rental Friday evening I packed my bags and prepared to hit the road early Saturday morning. I picked up my travelling partner and prepared for the 5 hour road trip to Jacksonville, Florida. It was a long trip but a great time to reflect on my journey thus far and reflect is exactly what I did. I expected by 4 week sabbatical leave time to go by quickly so I was very meticulous in my plan moving forward. In doing so, I was able to accomplish an absorbent amount of my personal goals regarding my sabbatical project. Every day was accounted for including the weekend. I was very good and giving myself room for disappointments and new contacts and opportunities regarding my father’s artwork and meeting with individuals who knew and worked closely with my father. The drive allowed me to prioritize my final week 4 and plan moving forward to continue the completion of my project of 2017.
My stepmother and stepsister who I have not seen in years relocated to Central Florida some years back. Social media is a great way to keep into contact with family, friends, and associates but there is nothing like a face to face meeting, that even beats a phone call.  I was very excited to see my step mother Barbara and step sister Buffy after so many years! I had a great time with them and it was definitely worth the 10 hour roundtrip drive. We spent most of our time together reminiscing on the good times of my dad’s life and the sad times surrounding my father’s death. It was great being able to catch them up on the family in Miami and Costa Rica and to get updates on their family.  One of the most memorable moments were looking through family photos and also capturing the portraits and artwork my father had given my stepmother Barbara during their time together. He painted roses for her for their wedding anniversary, a portrait of her, as well as paintings of her daughters and grandson. There were also paintings from our home in Miami Shores.
 I enjoyed having dinner with my extended family and I look forward to more family gathering. There was so many new things I learned about my father that I had not known about. Quirky things that I learned and certain things that I had forgotten about. My other step sister who still resides in Miami provided me with some great leads on where to find my father’s paintings in public spaces. This sabbatical journey has been more about my father’s artwork and paintings. It has been a walk through this entire life and sadly death. It has been an eye opening experience that has changed my life forever. This experience would not have been as fulfilling if it was completed in a piecemeal. Being able to FOCUS and direct all my TIME and ENERGY into my father’s artwork and professional journey as an artist for an entire month has changed me. I feel even more connected to my father and I am excited to share the final product of his cataloged artwork.  
If you have a private art piece or have worked with my father in the past, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. To stay current with me and my projects, please visit my website at www.tashathomas.org and follow me on Instagram at @dr.tasha.thomas or look up #findingmyfatherspaintings #oscarthomassr

On Wednesday I was super excited to pick up Laura the videographer from the Fort Lauderdale airport. My employer, Charles River, not only approved me for a 4 week paid sabbatical leave but also arranged for a videographer to document my journey. After settling into her hotel located in Miami, Florida we immediately went to work. Our first stop was to the famous Little Havana. It is a tourist destination and considered a Florida Heritage Historic destination. The Maximo Domino Park is located in the heart of Little Havana and I was proud to share with Laura that the backdrop was my father’s mural from the 1st ever Summit of the Americas which was held December 9-11th, 1994. The mural depicts then president Bill Clinton and 33 heads of state. My father was given a very short period of time to complete the massive mural. He worked with graphic designer Oscar Herrera and students from Miami’s Southwest High School in order to meet the deadline. Laura was able to capture the vibrancy of the mural and the environment that surrounded it.
While we were filming I met Parks & Recreation employee Miguel. He was excited to meet me and shared that people always asked about the artist and wanted to know what he looked like. I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture of my dad. He asked if it was okay if he printed my dad’s photo and displayed it at the welcome center office. I was blown away at the request and agreed, a minutes later we were exchanging information and I was emailing him my dad’s photograph.  
Laura also was able to capture the art work located at my home as well as interview me regarding my sabbatical experience. I was able to share the many wonderful adventures and discoveries that occurred since I started my journey. We also visited the Belafonte TACOLCY center and interviewed CEO Horace Roberts in front of one of my father’s mural. We then went on to the History Miami Museum and was able to capture me listening to one of the audio interviews of my dad back in 1989. The audio file is currently a part of the museum’s folk art archive collection. I would like to send a special thank you to the History Miami Museum for allowing us to film onsite and to Ashley and Dawn for all their assistance.
Laura was able to truly capture the magnitude of this experience for me and the many people lives that my father touched with his art and his humanitarian heart. Friday photographed murals and was able to visit the historic Overtown Lyric Theater. A total of three pieces of my father’s art work is displayed in the gift shop and in the black archives reading room. We wrapped up the week with lunch with award winning photographer James Rush. He is the owner of Made You Look, LLC. He won medals for photographs that he took of my father’s murals. I was elated to see my dad’s artwork professionally displayed is beautifully matted frames ready to be mounted. I was blown away by his skills as a photographer and the all the images of my father’s art work that unfortunately are of buildings that have since been burned down, destroyed, painted over, or murals that are of need of repair. Each photograph highlighted the genius and sheer perfection and my father’s skills as a large scale billboard and mural artist.  
If you have a private art piece or have worked with my father in the past, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. To stay current with me and my projects, please visit my website at www.tashathomas.org and follow me on Instagram at @dr.tasha.thomas or look up #findingmyfatherspaintings #oscarthomassr

​I feel like all my years of watching Matlock and detective sitcoms have culminated into this satisfying moment, which is happening right now! After meeting with D.C. Clark last week Thursday, he shared our meeting on his Facebook page. This led me to many new contacts pertaining to my dad and his artwork. Also, my meeting with Altine, which came recommended by Mr. Horace Roberts, also came with many new contacts. All eager and willing to share their relationship with my father and what how his art impacted the community and their own personal lives.  
Everything is coming together as I imagined it would but it is still an overwhelming feeling. This Saturday I felt this urge to visit a park that my father use to mentor at and do free art workshops for the community kids and seniors. It was a Saturday afternoon and the community center was locked. I tried peaking though the windows in hopes of finding an older employee that may have remembered my father but it was useless the lights were out and there was no one in sight. As I turned to head to the car a young man from across the street yelled, “It’s closed, the park is closed”. I smiled and said thank you and continued to head to my car. Something told me to turn around and talk to the young man. I turned around introduced myself and asked if he knew when the park would reopen. He said not for a few weeks there’s a water line break. I asked if he knew anyone that worked there, assuming he lived locally, he smiled and said I work here that’s how I know. I instantly noticed his t-shirt that said STAFF printed on it. Delvin was a park employee and was aware of the park hours and details surrounding the parks closing.  
Reluctantly, I asked if there were any painting on the wall. He said yes a huge mural but it’s before our time. My heart started the race because I knew my father frequented the park in the early to mid-1980s. When he said the mural was of Dr. Martin Luther King I wanted to scream. We exchanged information and I am excited to return in hopes of discovering that the mural in deed was painted by my father. This is one of many stories that have occurred throughout my sabbatical. I am so grateful for this experience.
Also, this weekend I was in search of a mural of the late Dewey W. Knight Jr. located at a local hospital. I am still looking for that painting but my search lead me to another painting located in the Downtown Miami Government Center. Best of all, I was able to get in contact with his son who has several of my father’s artwork including portraits of his parents. Dewey W. Knight Jr. was a pioneer in his roles as a Miami-Dade Administrator and Manager and have positively impacted the lives of children and families throughout Florida and beyond.
During my journey there has been some disappointments. I underappreciated the number of my father’s murals that have already been damaged, destroyed, or replaced. However, disappointment never seemed to last. I would always be confronted with an individual that would renew and lift my spirits as they would talk about the impact of my father and his contributions as though he was still alive. While driving to a law office where I was told my father’s work was displayed I passed by my father’s gallery. At that very moment a group of men were painting over it with white paint. My heart started racing but at that moment I was reminded that this is why I was doing this…this is why I was documenting and cataloging his work.
If you have a private art piece or have worked with my father in the past, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. To stay current with me and my projects, please visit my website at www.tashathomas.org and follow me on Instagram at @dr.tasha.thomas or look up #findingmyfatherspaintings #oscarthomassr

This week has been wonderfully hectic and filled with so much exciting discoveries and encounters regarding my dad and his art work. This is the end of my second week of my sabbatical leave and I cannot believe everything that I have accomplished including the launching of this website and my blog entries. I was able to visit the Main Library located in downtown Miami; it is a beautiful building and has always been my all-time favorite library for many reasons. I recall a field trip with my 4th grade class where we visited the library along with the history museum. It stands out in my mind because I remember showing off to all my classmates that it was not my first visit. My daddy takes me there all the time, I said. I took the lead and toured the class through the children’s story telling section and all the ins and outs of owning a library card. It was true my father would take my brother and I to the Main Library all the time when he wanted to look up historical figures to paint and/or read up on. The Main Library has always been a special place for me. You can only imagine how absolutely invigorating it feels to be able to go into the archives of both the Main Library and the History Museum to read about your own father, the late Oscar Thomas Sr. I was able to find over 100 newspaper articles that he headlined or that featured my father and/or his artwork dating back to the early 1980’s when he first arrived to the United States from Central America. The most exciting part that I was not prepared for was actually reading the article in his words, in quotations… I had to pause…remember the words….close my eyes…..and picture my father speaking them. Often I would smile and say yes, that was him, he would say that.
I can now say that I have mastered both microfilm machines. The librarian finally stopped checking up on me when he realized, she knows what she is doing. I felt excited as I scrolled through my list of newspaper articles and roamed through drawers looking for specific dates of the articles I had previously researched and collected. I would then narrow down the article section, neighbors, living & arts, and finally the neighborhood where the story was featured. My heart would jump when I would finally locate the actual article. Excited to see if there was any undiscovered photos of my dad or his artwork or both. I would slowly and meticulously examine the entire page and the subsequent pages to follow. My heart would fill with joy when I came across the Holy Grail….a feature story of my dad with his photo AND his artwork. I am happy to say those moments were frequent and as exciting each time they occurred.
If that were not enough I had a week filled with exciting interviews. I was able to meet with Mr. Horace Roberts, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Belafonte TACOLCY Center. This year marks the centers 50th anniversary, so I was honored to have been able to meet with Mr. Roberts during these busy and special times. Mr. Roberts is a founding member and also serves as the agency’s historian and photographer. He knew my father well so I was excited to learn more about the center as well as his relationship with my father. To my surprise Mr. Roberts gifted me the most special gift of all! Negatives that were over 30 years old of my father and his artwork. To say that this was a gift from God is no overstatement. My father passed away before the age of mainstream digital photography. I am so excited to get these negatives developed, from the looks of them they are phenomenal! In addition to the negatives, Mr. Roberts gave me a tour of the center and my father’s painting of Malcom X was prominently displayed at the entrance. Finally, I was happy to learn of a large beautiful piece that he owned in his private collection of my father’s artwork. It was a GREAT interview and a special day for me. To learn more about the Belafonte TACOLCY center visit http://www.tacolcy.org/
William D.C. Clark invited me to his home this week to discuss my father artist Oscar Thomas Sr. and what he meant to the local community. Our conversation was delightful, insightful, and comforting. To say D.C. is outspoken is the understatement of the year. He is loud, vocal, in your face, and most importantly honest. He will give it to you how he sees it and to hear only kind and thoughtful words used to describe my father and their relationship and his impact on the community was motivating. I truly enjoyed learning about how D.C. acquired Afro Books In Things, the premier African American Bookstore in Liberty City, from owners Dr. Wells and how his relationship blossomed with my father once they were neighbors. My father’s art gallery names Expressions by Oscar Thomas (his original logo is located above) was located adjacent to his bookstore. In addition to an entrepreneur and mentor, D.C. is also a published author. In his book entitled Lesson from the Other Side, D.C. briefly discusses my father and the benefits of having him as a neighbor.  
He described my father as a servant and I could not have said it better myself. He wanted to serve his community, serve his people, serve his family, and though my father was not a very religious man he was extremely spiritual and knew what it meant to be a servant of the Lord and he was.
Hearing D.C. say he was retired reminded me how much work I needed to do. I am sure he work more than any full-time employed person that I know. He too is a servant to his community and I appreciate every minute he set aside to meet with me. When he said his door was always open I believed him.
Last but certainly not least, I was able to meet up with my childhood best friend Patrice Campbell as well as Altine to photograph more of my father’s pieces from their personal collection as well as learn about more people who have my father’s pieces. This project has already exceeded my expectations. I have met some great contacts thanks to the help and support of so many people.
Despite my hectic week, I still found time to get my done. An additional SCORE!
If you have a private art piece or have worked with my father in the past, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. To stay current with me and my projects, please visit my website at www.tashathomas.org and follow me on Instagram at @dr.tasha.thomas or look up #findingmyfatherspaintings #oscarthomassr

​​​So the time arrived and my sabbatical began a little over a week ago. My mom would always tell me that all you have to do is start and that’s so true. In life all you have to do is active your thought through action. Get the wheels in motion and the universe will literally throw everything you need in your direction. This year will mark 20 years since my father passed away so I would like to think that this project that I have embarked on is 20 years in the making. Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about my father. To say that he was an extraordinary human being is an understatement. To say that he was a phenomenal father isn’t sufficient. To say that he was genius as an artist only touches the surface. In time I realized the most difficult part in accepting his passing is knowing that everyone did not have the opportunity to meet him and experience the sheer pleasure of knowing him. Also, I look at where South Florida is, the mecca of art and culture, and know that he would have been a prominent and influential political activist/artist of the time. In my down time I have been researching the journey my father took once he arrived to the United States in 1980. The more I find, the more proud, and impressed I am by my father’s journey and his accomplishments.
I work for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) in a dual role in their Insourcing Solutions division. Last year, CRL started a sabbatical program where they select 100 employees out of 10,000 to complete a personal or professional project each year. This year I was chosen among the 1%. In the next 4 weeks, I will be photographing and cataloging my father’s artwork. I will also be meeting with individuals that he has influenced throughout his lifetime and who have influenced him. My journey starts in Central America in his hometown of Panama/Costa Rica and where it will end….who knows? I have a month filled of exciting assignments to complete and the adventure has already begun.
I started my journey in Costa Rica where I was fortunate enough to visit one of my father’s first murals. I rode 2 ½ hours one way to the mountain top in the province of Cartago. The journey was an adventure in itself, as we drove through, we experienced at least 4 major climate changes. It went from hot, to rainy, to foggy, to freezing cold temperatures in the 40’s, back to foggy, rainy, and then sunny. When I finally arrived to the small beautiful town the weather was a perfect sunny 75 degrees. I was able to meet with Pastor Juan Paulo Quivos who gave me a history of the church and plans to add additional artwork to the interior of the church. If that was not enough, during my trip, I was fortunate enough to find personal collections and learn more about how they were acquired throughout the country. My trip ended with me meeting several of my father’s family members for the first time including my father’s favorite aunt and two sisters that live in a small town on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. My trip was rich in family history and amazing stories regarding my father’s love of painting.  
What has started as a relatively straightforward project has already transformed into a massive undertaking. The more I search, the more wonderful things I find regarding my father and his contributions to the communities that he served. I am anxious to share my findings with the world as I continue to learn more about my father’s many accomplishments.
If you have a private art piece or have worked with my father in the past I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or call 305-697-6770. To stay current with me and my projects, please visit my website at www.tashathomas.org and follow me on Instagram at @dr.tasha.thomas.