ALEXANDRIA, La. (WNTZ) – Acclaimed artist and author Morris Taft Thomas will host a presentation and book signing for his latest release, Art and Vision: A Family Tradition, on Friday, July 18, at the King Branch of the Rapides Parish Library. The event will run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and will include a door prize giveaway from the author.

Thomas, who has received numerous awards for his contributions to the arts, is known for achievements such as designing a White House Christmas tree ornament and attending the national festivities in 2001. He was honored with Louisiana’s Governor’s Art Award from former Gov. Mike Foster in 2008 and has received commendations from the State Legislature in 2018.

His earlier works include Contributions of Negro Artists in Louisiana (1972) and Eminent Black Artists in Louisiana (1975).

Thomas’s art can be found in public and private collections across the country, with pieces displayed at LSU in Baton Rouge, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Alexandria Museum of Art, Southern University Museum of Art, the Abbeville Museum of Art, the White House Archives, and the City of Alexandria. His work is also held in private collections belonging to figures such as B.B. King, Yolanda King, former South African President Nelson Mandela, the estate of Alex Haley, and the estate of President Jimmy Carter.

An advocate for literacy and the arts, Thomas is an active supporter of the Rapides Parish Library and serves on its Board of Control.

For more information about the event, contact the King Branch Library at 318-445-3912.