Curriculum Vitae
Professor of Art, Emerita, Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois. Retired in 2022 after teaching art and visual communication for 23 years.
Taught a wide variety of classes, but primarily drawing, painting, 3-d design, 2-d design and graphic design. Served as department chair for several years. Received the Women Empowering Women award in 2022 and a commendation from the Board of Trustees for excellence in teaching in 2008.
Previously taught part-time at Marycrest International University, Davenport, Iowa; St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa; National Louis University, Chicago, Illinois; Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois and Elgin Community College, Elgin, Illinois and worked full-time as a graphic design for 12 years.
Education
BFA in Painting, with a concentration in Graphic Design, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1983. Endowment award in painting and purchase award, Department of Continuing Education.
MFA in Painting with concentrations in sculpture and drawing, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, 1987.
Community Involvement
The Healing Power of Art, presentation to the Rock Island-Moline Branch of the American Association of University Women, November 2, 2024.
Quad City Arts’ Riverssance Festival of Fine Art, co-judge for prizes. Lindsay Park, Davenport, Iowa. September 21 – 22, 2024.
Watercolor and Collage Workshop, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa. April, 2024. Instructor for four week course.
Moline Public Art Commission, April, 2024 – April, 2026. Serving as commissioner appointed by Major Sangeetha Rayapati.
Quad City Arts Chalk Art Festival, panel judge for prizes. Rock Island, Illinois. July, 2023.
Herstory: Women’s Empowerment Luncheon and Panel, keynote speaker. Sponsored by the Black Hawk College Student Government Association. Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois. April 13, 2023.
Served on the Education Committee for the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa; the Rock Island Preservation Commission; the Visual Arts Committee, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, Illinois; Artist in resident in June, 2002 through the Illinois Arts Council at Horace Mann Choice School in Rock Island, Illinois in collaboration with Ballet Quad Cities. Humanities award from Daughters of the Revolution, Quad Cities chapter, 2016.
Collections
Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa; Unity Point Health – Trinity, Rock Island, Illinois; Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan and the Kalamazoo Latvian Heritage Center, as well as many private collections.
Exhibition Record
2025
Upcoming exhibition with ceramicist Lori Roderick and fiber artist Rowen Schussheim-Anderson. Quad City Arts, Rock Island, Illinois. August 15 – October 4, 2025.
2024
Getaway, Art Fluent online exhibition, https://artfluent.com/gallery/getaway/
2023
Passageways, solo exhibition. Read Gallery, Scott Community College, Bettendorf, Iowa. November 1 – December 13.
Storms and Silver Linings, solo exhibition. Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa. January 28 – May 28. Paintings and installation Spirit Vessel with community participation. Artist’s talk and presentation, February 2.
Concurrent Events
Panel discussion: How Artist Deal with Trauma with Dana Keeton and Ryan Vizzions. February.
Heavy Hearts, Grateful Souls workshops, November 30 and December 7, 2022 with art therapist Dana Keeton at the Figge Art Museum and Rock Island High School, January 11 and 12, 2023 with Figge educational staff.
2019
Sense of Place, Midcoast Fine Arts, Davenport, Iowa. Two-person exhibit with ceramic artist Lori Roderick. February – March. Artists’ talk.
2018
Golden, Jack Arends Hall 50th Anniversary Juried Alumni Show, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois. September 5 – October 19.
40th Annual Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa. January – May.
2017
Transitions: Pottery by Lori Roderick & Paintings by Zaiga Minka Thorson, ArtSpace Gallery, Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois. October – November.
Artists’ talk.
Out & About, MidCoast Fine Arts and Quad City Arts, Rock Island, Illinois. October, First place award.
Art Exhibition, 50th Anniversary Celebration, Latvian Center Garezers, Three Rivers Michigan, July.
2016
Transitions: Pottery by Lori Roderick & Paintings by Zaiga Minka Thorson. Quad City Arts, Rock Island, Illinois. October – December.
2015
Works on Paper by Zaiga Minka Thorson, Cortona Art Gallery, Ashford University, Dubuque, Iowa. Lecture and workshop with students, September 15 – October 8.
2014
Artists First, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa, October.
2013
You’re Going to Major in What? Art Faculty Exhibition, ArtSpace Gallery, Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois. August – September. Artists’ talk.
2012
Refugee in Four Seasons, Sabbatical Works by Zaiga Minka Thorson, ArtSpace Gallery, Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois. January – February. Presentation to faculty and administration; artist’s talk with students.
2010
Sacred Tree: Works by Ladislav Hanka, Sniedze Rungis and Zaiga Minka Thorson, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan. February – March. Invitational exhibition.
2009
Paper, Stone & Clay: Works by Tammi Schmidt and Zaiga Minka Thorson, Rock Island Public Library, Rock Island, Illinois. October, 2008 –January, 2009.
2008
Venus Envy, Bucktown Center for the Arts and Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa. February.
2007
31st Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. March – April.
Silhouettes in Nature: Zaiga Thorson, Morrissey Gallery, Galvin Fine Arts Center, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. October, 2006 – January, 2007.
2005
Works by Ladislav Hanka, Sniedze Rungis and Zaiga Minka Thorson, Overbrook Art Gallery, Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, Michigan. November – December. Invitational exhibition focusing on artists with ties to Eastern Europe.
2004
The Glass and Digital Exhibition, Quad City Arts at the Airport, Quad City Arts, Moline, Illinois. November – December. Co-curator and exhibiting artist.
Quad City Arts at the Airport, Quad City International Airport, Moline, Illinois. August – September.
Zaiga Thorson: Recent Works, MidCoast Gallery at the Davenport River Center, Davenport, Iowa. January – February.
2003
27th Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. April – May.
Layers: Zaiga Minka Thorson, ArtSpace Gallery, Black Hawk College, Moline, Illinois. December, 2002 – January, 2003.
2002
Off the Walls, Quad City Arts Gallery, Rock Island, Illinois. December.
1992
16th Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. April – May.
1991
41st Quad-State Juried Art Exhibition, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois. April.
Zaiga Minka: Recent Paintings, American Latvian Association Cultural Days, Kalamazoo Latvian Heritage Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan. April.
1990
Zaiga Minka and Ruta Daugavietis: New Work, Chicago Latvian Center, Chicago, Illinois. April.
1987
Emerging Artists: New Talent from Northern Illinois University, NIU Art Gallery in Chicago, Illinois. June – July.
What’s New in Art? Zaiga Minka, Patty Opel and Alice White. Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, Illinois. May – June.
ARS Nova Student Competition, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois. April. Third prize.
1986
Self-Portraits Then or Now, ARC Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. July.
The Norris Gallery Vicinity Exhibition, Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center, St. Charles, Illinois. November – December.
Color 86, Oak Park Art League, Oak Park, Illinois. November.
The Last Picture Show, The American Annual Works on Paper, Zaner Gallery, Rochester, New York. July – September.
Open Spectrum, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois.
April – May.
Art Exhibition, Jones Fine & Performing Arts Building, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
1984
13th Biennial Michiana Regional Art Competition, Century Center, South Bend, Indiana.
Zaiga Minka, Kalamazoo Latvian Heritage Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan. September.
Recent Works: Minka & Kajaks, Carnegie Center for the Arts, Three Rivers, Michigan.