Zaiga Thorson

I am inspired by the natural world, although I am not looking to recreate it in a representational way. My connections are based on places I have traveled to, where I grew up, where I now live and the emotional memory of these places. These memories are then conveyed through the layering process in my work, often creating an ethereal, nebulous space. I taught art and graphic design at Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois for 23 years, retiring in June 2022. I hold a MFA in Painting from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb Illinois and a BFA in Painting from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. My artwork is in the collections of the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa; UnityPoint Health – Trinity, Rock Island, Illinois; Western Michigan University; Kalamazoo, Michigan, the Kalamazoo Latvian Heritage Center, as well as many private collections.

Zaiga is based out of Rock Island County.