Tara Austin is the 2026 folk-artist-in-residence at the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures. She received her MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2017 and now works as a practicing artist and instructor, teaching rosemaling throughout the Upper Midwest. Her work is inspired by the boreal ecosystem of the Upper Midwest and draws from botanical and natural beauty. Originating in Norway, rosemaling has developed and changed over time and space and Austin’s work—inspired by Norwegian and Norwegian American rosemaling styles, Swedish folk painting, scenic painting and faux finishing, and reverse painting on glass—has been exhibited in galleries throughout the region.
She teaches regularly at folk schools throughout the region, including at North House Folk School and the American Swedish Institute.
Her work has been featured in galleries and exhibitions throughout the Upper Midwest, including exhibitions at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa; the Joseph Nease Gallery in Duluth, Minnesota; and the Johnson Heritage Post Gallery in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
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