The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation recognizes that education and the arts enhance individuals’ lives and communities. Education is centered in the rural Southwest, primarily focusing on scholarships. In the Arts, we make grants, lend and exhibit our art collection. We are strong believers in leadership, innovation, and equality of opportunity.
Inspired to make contributions with wide-ranging yet personal impact, Carl and Marilynn Thoma founded the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation in 2014 to distinguish their initiatives in and support of the visual arts. The Thomas hold a strong belief that the arts play a seminal role in society, and the establishment of an arts-specific foundation allowed them to be secure in the knowledge that their passion in this area would be sustained for decades to come.
In 2021 the Foundation was re-named to more broadly reflect our expanded efforts. The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation’s philanthropic reach extends beyond the artworld to strengthen community, leadership, and education initiatives in under-resourced and rural areas.
From 2015 to 2022, the Foundation has lent more than 1,100 works of art to over 165 exhibitions across the globe. In addition, the Foundation has made over 100 grants to nonprofit organizations totaling more than $8 million dollars, awarded funding to 21 individuals for scholarly research, and hosted 26 exhibitions at its spaces. The Foundation’s collection numbers more than 1,600 works of art and continues to grow.
Founders
Carl Thoma
Marilynn Thoma
Board of Directors
Carl Thoma, President
Marilynn Thoma, Vice President & Treasurer
Gary S. Hart, Secretary
Mark Thoma
Margo Thoma
Team
Alli Deri, Thoma Foundation Administrator
Holly Harrison, Director
Jaime Herrell, Gallery Program Coordinator
Ashlyn Lee, Assistant to the Director, Collections Research Associate
Tim Porter, Collections Manager & Registrar
Kathleen Richards, Art Spaces Director & Exhibitions Manager
Sarah Rovang, Program Officer
Libby Tilley, Communications Consultant
Verónica Muñoz-Nájar, Curatorial Fellow, Art of the Spanish Americas