The home at 2527 Tremont Place sits at the nexus of the region’s historic Black community, within a literal and figurative five-point intersection of business, art, culture, politics and cuisine.
Within shouting distance – or a saxophone’s soulful wail – of the fabled Rossonian Hotel, an aspiring artist, barely a child, attempted to add to the area’s storied legacy from his grandmother’s home in the Five Points district. Sketching on the floor with minimal accessories, he compensated with raw imagination.
“I worked with what I had,” he recalls.
Years later, his wife bought him a table and easel, prompting his full-circle observation, “I feel like a real artist now.”
The initial tools and efforts of his youth may have seemed elementary at the time, but those early endeavors were more than a fleeting interest – they preceded a lifetime of creation and a full realization of art in its finest form.
That young boy grew into a celebrated man of exceptional talent.
A Gift from Above
Dr. Thomas Lockhart recently received the ultimate kudo, the Top 60 Masters Award, globally hailed as the “Oscars of the Visual Arts.”
Described by the Top 60 Masters Awards website as “the crown jewel of the visual arts world,” the prestigious honor acknowledges “the ultimate triumph of visual mastery,” with only 60 artists recognized for the vanguard of creativity.
For Lockhart, artistry is an existential endeavor. Rather than regard art as a professional pursuit, set aside with a drop cloth at the close of business like a banker or lawyer sheds their tie and jacket after hours, his artistry is inseparable from his personal and spiritual existence.
While celebrating his father-in-law’s 80th birthday in Macon, Georgia, he muses on artistry as a spiritual expression, explaining how both art and spirituality are inextricably connected, and why they ultimately define his existence.
Like much of his artistry, the journey from aspiring artist, to graphic designer, to world-renowned artist wasn’t a simple or linear affair. It was a 3D experience, replete with the challenges and wonders frequently encountered in both life and art. Many professions evolve courtesy of formal education and a degree, but Lockhart observes that his artistry comes from above.
He explains, “I pray – my gift comes from God.”
Spiritual direction guides Lockhart through the artistic process from start to finish. He allows “the Holy Spirit to take over,” glimpses a vision of what he will create and delves into the process. The work is complete not when a deadline hits or when the work week is finished, but when a piece or portrait realizes his original vision.
The gift came from above, but Lockhart wants to share it down here on Earth, allowing viewers around the world a glimpse of his spiritually inspired vision.
“I feel like I’m painting for other people, to see either themselves or history they haven’t encountered,” he explains.
Just as his spirituality inspires and guides him, his goal is to inspire and guide his audience, transporting them to a higher and more enlightened realm.
Brushing the Boundaries
Divine intervention may account for Lockhart’s current position as one of the premier artists of his generation. His childhood artistry took a detour in early adulthood, and while he never lost his affinity for the arts, he initially chose a more conventional and arguably more practical path.
He explored drafting and architectural studies in high school and pursued commercial art and graphic art in college, receiving an art and visual communications degree from Al Collins Graphic Design School. While related to his passion, those expressions couldn’t provide the emotional outlet he longed for.
Following the “turmoil and stress” of a turbulent relationship, he was in need of an outlet to “free his mind.” He eventually found a release in the study of fine art, with an attraction to the works of masters like Salvador Dali, Thomas Kinkade and Paul Goodnight. Impressed by their individual idiosyncrasies, he studied their perspectives and ultimately mastered his own artistic interpretations of the world.
“I ended up forming my own styles,” he says modestly.
Those styles range from Cubism to figurative expressions as Lockhart doesn’t limit his artistry to a single style, method or medium.
Evolving as an artist, he relishes diversity, exploration and discovery. He’s largely self-taught, having concentrated on commercial and graphic art in his formal studies and arriving at his virtuosic knowledge of creative art through voracious reading and life experiences.
He considers himself a “diverse artist,” observing that two different pieces of his work often prompt people to believe that each originated from separate creators.
Depictions of a Diaspora
The distance between commercial and creative artistry may seem chancy if not improbable to some, but others prone to faith would consider the transition inevitable, even preordained.
Lockhart recounts his initial journey into creative artistic endeavors nearly a quarter century ago. An art dealer encouraged his initial projects, allowing people the opportunity to view and purchase the pieces well outside his home turf.
Cultivating a national and later international following, his efforts have earned him impressive recognition and rewards. However, in addition to creating his own projects, he’s also a teacher and a cheerleader who mentors other aspiring creators.
“I want to help others pursue their gifts,” he stresses. “Giving his gift,” is a duty that he believes is owed to others.
Through his artistic vision, he creates multifaceted works of beauty and power featuring textiles, collage and jewelry, with interactive, 3D elements. He guides people through time, often highlighting the African Diaspora, which he refers to as “our history.”
With an affinity for presenting the deep and wide contributions of Black culture reaching back to Biblical times, Lockhart announces his cultural pride with t-shirts donning affirmations like “Black Culture is Art,” as a benefit to society as a whole.
“I’m giving back to people,” he says. “This is really who we are.”
Painted Perfection
A number of career-defining honors have made Lockhart one of the most celebrated Black artists of our time.
In addition to receiving the 2023 Top 60 Masters Award, he has been commissioned to create masterpieces for distinguished clients around the world, including writer, director and entertainment mogul, Tyler Perry, for his 50th birthday celebration. He was also commissioned to create a piece that was highlighted in the 2021 film, “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America,” and his work was included in the Vivid Arts Network program “Art Titans: Masters of the New Era,” in an episode titled, “Whispers of the Soul: The Legacy of Dr. Thomas E. Lockhart.”
The virtuoso has received an honorary Doctorate Degree in Arts and Culture from the Denver Institute of Urban Studies and Adult College; a 2021 Director’s Award and Best in Show Award at Spectrum Miami; two Ohio State University Cultural Development Artist Awards in 2021 and 2022; and a Certificate for Artistic Excellence from the Circle Foundation of the Arts.
The beautiful cover image for this publication features Lockhart’s original work – an artistic depiction of the U.S. Vice President and 2024 Presidential Nominee, Kamala Harris. The historic portrait is accompanied by another of his original creations featuring Denver Urban Spectrum publisher, Rosalind “Bee” Harris, in recognition of the Denver’s Voice 37 anniversary event.
With an impressive portfolio displayed in magazines, at film festivals, on television programs and at art shows around the world, the honors and recognitions reflect Lockhart’s spirit, artistry and mission to educate others about the beautiful and formidable presence of Black brilliance.
With spiritually-guided confidence he says, “When you own a piece of my art, you own an integral part of all of us.”
Editor’s Note: To learn more about Dr. Thomas Lockhart’s work, visit www.thomaselockhart.com.
