RAiR | 1969-70

Thomas Stokes †

Born in New York City, Thomas Stokes (1934-1993) was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and returned to New York in the 1950s. He was an abstract painter renowned for his Color Field work. Thomas was invited to Roswell after his first major solo exhibition in New York City at the Betty Parsons Gallery. He was one of the last major artists discovered by gallerist Betty Parsons who said of his work: “There are many voices to be heard and Tommy’s is pure poetry.” He eventually settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1986. Thomas Stokes’ work is exhibited in numerous museums and is in international private collections.