Creator’s Notebook: Khalid Thompson

Premieres Wednesday, July 28 at 8pm ET

Translating sound across the senses, abstract painter Khalid Thompson bridges the worlds of jazz music and visual art at the multi-disciplinary Art of Noize artist studio in Petworth. With a brush and paints as his instrument and melody, Thompson shows how the textures and improvisatory nature of jazz are felt and seen through his practice of intuitive painting.

This video is part of Creator’s Notebook, a series of four short films that profile singer-songwriter Justin Trawick, visual artist Khalid Thompson, musician and storyteller Be Steadwell, and photographer and DJ Violetta Markelou in multi-faceted origin stories spanning their motivations as artists and inspirations for their work, defining what it means to bring original art into the world. Each film in the week-long dive deep into the creative process culminates in a performance or presentation of the work in intimate settings across D.C.

About the Artist

Photo by Violetta Markelou

Born and raised in Richmond, VA, Khalid Thompson discovered a passion for poetry during creative writing classes in high school. Post-graduation, he sought to challenge his solitary nature via performance outlets such as acting and acoustic guitar. However, there persisted a deep desire within him to find an artistic path more suited to his inherent personality. In spring 2006, he decided to move to Washington, D.C. to gain inspiration from a culturally diverse, international city. After a serendipitous meeting with a charismatic visual artist from the Ivory Coast, Khalid began to reinvestigate a childhood love of drawing. The steady encouragement of this new friend coupled with a renewed sense of self led Khalid to explore his own abstract style of art. The creative freedom of improvisational painting became a perfect fit. For more information and to view Khalid’s gallery, please visit khalidthompson.com.

About the Business

Art of Noize is a multi-purpose artist studio. Opened in 2017 and located in the Petworth area of Washington, D.C., Art of Noize gives artists a place to showcase their talents in an intimate setting. For more information, please visit artofnoizedmv.com.

Creator’s Notebook is made possible through the generous support of Gary and Silvia Yacoubian and SVS Home Audio.

Mars Arts D.C. is a partnership of Mars, Incorporated and Washington Performing Arts, with support from Jacqueline Badger Mars.

Thank you to the following lead supporters of Washington Performing Arts’s mission-driven work in 2020/21: Jacqueline Badger Mars and Mars, Incorporated; D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Betsy and Robert Feinberg; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs Program and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts; Tom Gallagher; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts.