Thomas has taught painting and drawing at the university level since 2011, and worked for 3 years as the Director of Public Art for the Iowa City Downtown District. In addition to his studio work, he has designed, executed, managed, and mentored dozens of mural projects – from private commissions to large municipal scale work in historically sensitive areas to community engaged and participatory mural and public art projects. He also serves as a consultant for murals and other public art projects and programs, and serves on the board of Public Space One, a local arts non-profit in Iowa City.

Born in Kentucky, raised in Ohio, and currently residing in Iowa City, Iowa, Thomas is very interested in the Midwest -- for both its charms as well as its challenges. He is particularly dedicated to the Midwestern landscape, its total transformation through agriculture, and the political, social, and environmental consequences of that change. Some of his paintings also explore the complicated nexus of food, agriculture, nostalgia, and marketing. To learn more about Thomas, visit thomasagran.com.