Thira Rose’s artwork speaks to climate concerns as seen through her personal experiences and observations as an outdoor runner, hiker, and backpacker. After participating in the Scholastic Arts and Writing competition, Thira was awarded the Gold Key Scholarship and attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) from 2018 to 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic brought her back to her hometown of Austin, Texas where Thira rediscovered her love for the hill country through running and plein air painting. In 2021, Thira transferred to Southwestern University (SU) in Georgetown, Texas where she received the Sarofim Scholarship in Studio Art, was selected to attend a residency at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was one of twelve students to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Thira graduated from SU in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in Environmental Studies.

Thira has exhibited internationally and locally, including her Gold Key-awarded work, “Grandmother’s Hands,” which started in New York, New York, and traveled nationally for two years. Local showcases include several exhibitions at ArtUs Co in Austin, Texas, Highland Art Collective in Austin, Texas, and Southwestern University where Thira has work permanently on display and exhibited in several Student Art Exhibitions. Thira has also participated in several juried art competitions where she was awarded for her work. Currently, Thira lives and works in Austin, Texas where her passions for running, sustainability, and creating intersect. 

Education

May-June 2024 | Excavating in the Aegean: The Despotiko Field School, College Year in Athens (CYA), Athens, Greece

2021-May 2024 | Bachelor of Fine Art Major (BFA), Environmental Studies Minor, Southwestern University (SU), Georgetown, TX

2021-2022 | General Studies, Austin Community College (ACC), Austin, TX

2018-2021 | Bachelor of Art, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago, IL

2017 | Pre-College Summer Program, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago, IL

Select Exhibitions & Jurried Competitions

2024 | Realms of Fungi, ArtUsCo, Austin, TX

2024 | Art Under $100, Culture Complex, Austin, TX

2024 | Senior Art Exhibitions: Tread Lightly, Southwestern University, Sarofim School of Fine Arts, Georgetown, TX

2024 | Salon Show II, Highland Collective, Austin, TX

2023 | Annual Student Art Exhibit, Southwestern University, Sarofim School of Fine Arts, Georgetown, TX

2023 | Central Texas Art Competition and Exhibition, Temple University, Temple, TX

2023 | Mystic Mirrors, ArtUsCo, Austin, TX

2023 | Earth Day Art Exhibit, ArtUsCo, Austin, TX

2022 | Annual Student Art Exhibit, Southwestern University, Sarofim School of Fine Arts- Georgetown, TX

2022 | Open House Art Exhibit, Home of Joshua Dino, Hutto, TX

2019 | Starry Night Over Austin Exhibit, Flip’N Art Collective (now: Chacasso Art), Bee Cave, TX

2019 | SAIC Student Art Exhibit, SAIC, Chicago, IL

2018-2019 | Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Exhibition (Traveling exhibition nationwide for two years), Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY

2018 | Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Regional Exhibition, St. Stephens Episcopal School, Austin, TX

2017 | Pre-College Summer Program Exhibition, SAIC Galleries, Chicago, IL

Residencies

2023 | Collaborative Guest Artist, Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque, NM

Awards, Grants & Scholarships

2024 | Honors Studio: Paint, Draw, Print, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

2021-2024 | SU Deans List, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

2023 | First Place “Best Figure”, Round Rock Chalk Walk, Round Rock, TX

2021 | Sarofim Fine Arts Scholarship, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

2021 | SU Merit Scholarship, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

2018 | Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards Scholarship

Publications

2024 | Southwestern Magazine Spring 2024, Photos and artwork on the cover and inside pgs. 16-18, Georgetown, TX

Employment & Experience

Sept.-Current 2024 | Marketing and Graphic Design Assistant, Goodnight Loving Vodka, Dripping Springs, TX

May-June 2024 | Archeological Research and Excavation Assistant, The Despotiko Field School, Athens, Greece

2022-2024 | Marketing Intern, Aramark, Georgetown, TX

2022-2023 | Muralist: Commons Mural, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

2023 | Mural Assistant: Grandview Hills Elementary Mural, Grandview Hills Elementary, Leander, TX

2021-2022 | Beautification Project Planner: Utility Box Beautification Project, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

2020 | Wild Gins Wild LBJ Cocktail Enhancer Design, Wild Gins, Austin, TX

2019 | Gallery Assistant, Flip’N Art Collective (now: Chacasso Art), Bee Cave, TX