Erica Meryl Thomas

Erica Meryl Thomas is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Western Washington University (WWU) and holds memberships in UFWW (WWU faculty union), Portland State University Faculty Association PSUFA-AFT, and the Portland chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. She holds an MFA in Contemporary Art & Social Practice from Portland State University (2014) and a BA in Media Arts & Studies from University of Kentucky (2005).

Her interdisciplinary practice focuses on socially engaged art addressing labor movements, environmental justice, and systemic power structures. Recent projects include Obscurity: Life Inside the Smoke (2023), an exhibition at World Forestry Center exploring incarcerated wildland firefighters' experiences, and Nobody Wants to Work Anymore (202X), examining labor value and collective solidarity. She utilizes mixed-media, printmaking, and community collaboration in her work.

Thomas has completed residencies at Confluence Lab (University of Idaho, 2024), PLAYA (2020-2021), and international programs in Tanzania and Colombia. Her 2023 exhibition incorporated handmade charcoal from wildfire sites and created participatory dialogues between incarcerated firefighters and exhibition visitors.