GALLERIST THELMA HARRIS HONORED BY THE JOYCE GORDON FOUNDATION
Source: Pigment International
Tolani Verissimo, honoree Thelma Harris, Thelma Harris Gallery and Joyce Gordon.
The Joyce Gordon Foundation of the Arts honored gallerist Thelma Harris for her more than 35 years of service to the arts, recognizing her as an award recipient during a special celebration in Oakland. The event acknowledged Harris’s longstanding commitment to elevating Black art and culture in the Bay Area and across the nation.
For over three decades, the Thelma Harris Art Gallery has served as a cornerstone of the Oakland arts community. Harris built the gallery into a welcoming home for artists, collectors, and supporters who sought a space dedicated to the richness of African American creative expression. Her curatorial leadership helped launch and sustain the careers of countless artists, while her dedication to cultural preservation earned her deep respect among peers and patrons.
During the award presentation, Harris reflected on her journey with gratitude. She noted that the milestone represented not only her own work but also the shared vision of the many people who had walked beside her—artists, collectors, family, and community members who believed in the importance of telling Black stories through art. Harris extended heartfelt thanks to those who had supported her gallery over the years and helped build a community rooted in creativity and cultural pride.
The award came as the Joyce Gordon Foundation expanded its mission and transitioned the historic Joyce Gordon Gallery into a broader Community Arts Hub. The Foundation emphasized the need for continued leadership, youth arts programming, and community partnerships to sustain its work. Harris encouraged supporters to donate to the Foundation and to help ensure that future generations of Oakland youth would have access to artistic mentorship, professional development, and creative opportunity.
Her recognition stood as a tribute to a lifetime of advocacy, vision, and unwavering devotion to the arts—an impact that would continue to shape the cultural landscape for years to come.