Trina Harlow

Dr. Trina Harlow has been an artist her entire life. Today, after a long and successful career in art education—and an earlier career as a fashion designer—she is known as the "Artist by the Creek," creating paintings and fiber art from her picturesque home studio overlooking the West Prong of White's Creek in rural Grayson County, Texas. She loves color, beauty, and the creative process.

An award-winning artist since childhood, Trina has continued to earn recognition for her artistry, teaching, and leadership throughout her career. She taught K–12 art and theatre for 21 years and was named Teacher of the Year in both Prosper ISD and Van Alstyne ISD. Beginning in 2014, she served for ten years as a university art education professor and program chair at Kansas State University and the University of North Texas.

For many years, she served on the Board of Directors of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) as Higher Education Director, was President of the NAEA Public Policy and Arts Administration Interest Group, and received the NAEA Zimmerman and Clark Leadership Award. Trina is the author and editor of Journey to Refuge and co-director of the feature-length documentary Refuge in the Heartland, both of which explore the transformative power of visual art and art education.

She has lectured, presented, and led art workshops for children and adults throughout the United States and internationally. Trina often jokes that she kept a suitcase packed for decades. She has traveled to 27 countries for work and leisure and has taught art in Ecuador, Switzerland, Uganda, and Ireland. She has also led creative workshops for adults, and at-risk youth, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and served for several years as Education Outreach Summer Coordinator for the Santa Fe-based International Folk Art Alliance and International Folk Art Market. In that role, she collaborated with artists from around the world and continues to maintain many of those relationships today.

Trina holds a Bachelor's degree in Clothing and Textiles–Fashion Design, a Master's degree in Art Education, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction.

In May 2026, she became President of the Art Club of McKinney, a historic organization founded in 1914. She is also the founder of the Texoma Area Fiber Arts Guild and is currently helping establish the Van Alstyne Arts Commission.

Above all, Trina loves to create, spend time with her artistic children, and play with her creative grandchildren. Her husband, Russ, enjoys watching the creative gene express itself throughout the family—and marveling at where the next artistic idea will appear.