| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
He exhibited in the Seattle Art Museum's annual Northwest Artists exhibitions in 1943 and 1952.
Thomas has solo exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1942 and 1948. He exhibited in the B.C. Artists annuals from 1942 to 1947, and from 1950 to 1952.
He was on a list titled "Leading Vancouver Artists" provided to the Labour Arts Guild on April 10, 1946 by the Vancouver Art Gallery to assist in the Guild's call for entries to the second annual B.C. At Work exhibition.
Thomas exhibited with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in their annual exhibitions from 1942 to 1953, including 1942, 1943, and 1949. His artwork was used as the cover image for the 1948 exhibition catalogue.
Lionel and his wife Patricia completed a bronze and light sculpture for the Vancouver Public Library at Burrard and Robson Street titled "Symbols of the Cuneiforms." The sculpture was retained when the building was re-purposed many years later. Lionel also completed a mosaic for the Library titled "Runic Symbols a.k.a. Origin and Evolution of the Alphabet." A contractor told me that this mosaic was not retained, and was destroyed by being scraped off the concrete wall with a Bobcat.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
| DATE | EXHIBITION | LOCATION |
| 1942 January 6 - 18 | Solo exhibition (27 pictures) | VAG |
| 1948 Nov 16 - Dec 5 | Solo exhibition (27 pictures) | VAG |
| DATE | EXHIBITION | ARTWORK |
| 1942 May 15 - 31 | BCSFA 32nd Annual | Margot |
| 1942 July 7 - Sept. 2 | VAG B.C. Artists 1st Annual Summer | Aage Madsen |
| 1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 | VAG B.C. Artists 11th Annual | Reservist - Cpl. Ramsay |
| 1943 May 15 - June 6 | BCSFA 33rd Annual | Study of a Young Boy's Head |
| 1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 | VAG B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer | Study of a boy's head |
| 1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 | VAG B.C. Artists 12th Annual | Jeun Canadien |
| Study for "Jeun Canadien" | ||
| 1944 May 13 - June 4 | BCSFA 34th Annual | Strength |
| 1944 July 4 - Aug. 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Summer | Strength |
| 1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 | VAG B.C. Artists 13th Annual | B.C. Fishing Village |
| Threshing | ||
| Head Study | ||
| 1944 Nov. 21 - Dec. 10 | Labour Arts Guild 1st B.C. At Work | The Shingle Mill |
| 1945 May 18 - June 10 | BCSFA 35th Annual | Chinese Night Study |
| Chinatown | ||
| 1945 July 3 - Aug. 26 | VAG B.C. Artists 4th Annual Summer | Chinese Night Study |
| 1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 | VAG B.C. Artists 14th Annual | After Service |
| 1946 May 31 - June 23 | BCSFA 36th Annual | The Harmonica Player |
| Still Life with Crabs | ||
| Head with Blue Background | ||
| Indian Church | ||
| 1946 July 2 - 28 | VAG Jubilee Exhibition | Poppies in a Copper Pot |
| 1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 | VAG B.C. Artists 15th Annual | The End of the Bench |
| The Octopus Ride | ||
| 1946 Oct. ? - ? | FCA 40 Selections from 15th BCA | The Octopus Ride |
| 1947 May 9 - June 1 | BCSFA 37th Annual | The Accordian Player |
| Landscape | ||
| 1947 July 8 - 27 | VAG B.C. Artists Summer Exhibition | Landscape |
| 1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 | VAG B.C. Artists 16th Annual | Still Life |
| Abstraction | ||
| 1948 May 18 -June 6 | BCSFA 38th Annual | Still Life |
| Still Life | ||
| Painting | ||
| 1949 May 3 - 22 | BCSFA 39th Annual | A Winter's Tale |
| The Forest God | ||
| Solo | ||
| Abstraction | ||
| Abstraction | ||
| 1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 | VAG First B.C. Graphic | #15, 28/10/49 |
| #3. 15/9/49 (rejected) | ||
| #16, 29/10/49 (rejected) | ||
| #3, 6/9/49 | ||
| 1950 April 25 - May 14 | BCSA 40th Annual | The Accordionist |
| Spatial Experiences, Capilano | ||
| 1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 | VAG B.C. Artists 19th Annual | Autumn No. 1 |
| Autumn No. 2 | ||
| 1951 April 24 - May 13 | VAG BCSA 41st Annual | Ominous Feelings |
| Elements in the Canyon | ||
| 1951 Nov. 27 - Dec. 16 | VAG B.C. Artists 20th Annual | The Fire God |
| Summer Grasses | ||
| 1952 April 1 - 20 | VAG BCSA 42nd Annual | Untitled |
| Untitled | ||
| Image in the Trees | ||
| 1952 Oct. 21 - Nov. 16 | VAG B.C. Artists 21st Annual | Autumn Impressions |
| Autumn Tapestry | ||
| 1953 May 5 - 31 | VAG BCSA 43rd Annual | The Chaste One |
SOUVENIR CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITIONS OPENING THE NEW VANCOUVER ART GALLERY (refer to VAG51)
SUMMER BUBBLE (refer to BAG70)
VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)
A MODERN LIFE: Art and Design in British Columbia 1945-1960 (refer to VAG04)
RICHMOND ART GALLERY 25:25 - 1980-2005 (refer to RAG05)
VISIONS OF THE WEST COAST - ROBERT ALLER & HIS COMMUNITY (refer to UVIC05)
CROSS CONNECTIONS (refer to LAG10)
CREATIVE CANADA - Volumes One & Two (refer to CC71)
Includes 1-1/3 columns of information about Thomas.
PUBLIC ART IN VANCOUVER (refer to UBC72)
ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979 (refer to RCA81)
A GUIDE TO SCULPTURE IN VANCOUVER (refer to GSV80)
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)
MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - SPRING EXHIBITIONS 1880 - 1970 (refer to MM88)
A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
8 references cited for Thomas.
PUBLIC ART IN VANCOUVER - ANGELS AMONG LIONS (refer to PAV09)
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)
THE LIFE AND ART OF HARRY AND JESSIE WEBB (refer to MTP14)
GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020 (refer to GVAG20)
6 references to Thomas.
https://m.facebook.com/vancouverpubliclibrary/posts/from-the-vault-750-burrard-sttoday-a-book-of-architectural-renderings-submitted-/10153563152536566/
"Portraits this year are numerous and unusually effective. ...
Lionel Thomas also takes a full stride ahead with his
warm colors and rich virile interpretation of "Reservist Cpl. Ramsey." "
From "Colorful Display Presented In Exhibition By B.C. Artists"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, September 19 1942
"Among other prominent exhibitors are ... L. Thomas ... "
From "Summer Show at Gallery Major Event
for Art Lovers" by Palette
Vancouver Province, July 7 1943
" ... Lionel A. Thomas' "Study for Jeun Canadien" received the second
Honourable Mention. Mr. Thomas is a well-known Vancouver portrait painter."
From "12th Annual B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin, November 1943
" ... another interesting figure study is Lionel Thomas' "Accordian Player.""
From "B.C. Art Exhibit Non-Experimental"
News Herald, May 12 1947
"Summer University courses "Painting for Pleasure" have been followed during the
past month with enthusiasm by an evergrowing number of amateur painters. The
instructors are B.C. Binning, Orville
Fisher, J. MacDonald, and Lionel Thomas."
From "Stanley Park Paintings On Exhibition at Gallery"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, August 2 1947
" ... Over two hundred entries had been received, which were narrowed down to eighty-nine
by the jury, (Lionel Thomas, Gordon Appelbe Smith,
and Illingworth Kerr) plus an imposing display of pottery,
clay models, wood carving and other handicrafts."
From "Letter re West Vancouver Sketch Club"
Personal correspondence, March 15 1948
"In the same field of expression but using richer and more violent
colours are ... Lionel Thomas ... "
From "Lively Spirit Pervades B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, May 3 1949
"Steel Scaffolding for Mural Artist" by Palette
Vancouver Province, September 8 1954
"Library Board Balks at $7,500 Sculpture Outlay"
Vancouver Sun, March 15 1958
"'Indescribable' Sculpture to Adorn City's Public Library" by Frank Walden
Vancouver Sun, December 9 1960
"Library's Odd Sculpture Finding Friends and Foes"
Vancouver Sun, December 10 1960
"Another Triumph for the Thomases" (Brock Hall mosaic, UBC)
UBC Alumni Chronicle, Winter 1960
"Artist Builds Place to Pause, Urges More of Them in City" (UBC)
Vancouver Sun, April 21 1961
"A Free Standing Illuminated Sculpture" by Elizabeth B. Marshall
Arts Council News, December 1961
"Rathie Opens Royal Bank's New Branch" (Underwater Forms)
Vancouver Sun, September 18 1963