Past Exhibits

Alma Roberts is an alumna of Morgan State University, and a Baltimore-based, self-taught artist.  She earned a Master Degree in Public Health from The University of Michigan.  Although her father was an artist, Roberts first began painting at age 62.

“My Father was a portraitist and yet our work often deals with similar expressions, responses, and desires. He drew the faces of those fighting and yearning for a new way of life in this country. I paint my way through the issues and stories that have not changed very much for people of color in the U.S. I use a broad pallet of colors to grab the attention of the viewer and then use splattering, markings, pours, and layering to get my messages across. I rely heavily on the use of circles and dots to represent humanity both living and past.”

Painters Alma Thomas, Jack Whitten, Norman Lewis, Joan Mitchell, and Mark Rothko are major influences on Roberts’ work. She notes that although her art addresses ongoing struggles, each work conveys some sense of hope.

Roberts has exhibited regionally in Maryland, Virginia, and Philadelphia, in addition to virtual exhibitions through Maryland State Arts Council and Mozaik Foundation, where she garnered the Special Mention National Prize.  

As an arts advocate, Roberts is a founding member of the Joshua Johnson Council at the Baltimore Museum of Art. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture, and is a Commissioner on the Baltimore Public Art Commission, which oversees and approves the installation and maintenance of public art throughout the city.