About

Rebecca Rothfus Harrell is a visual artist living and working in Austin, TX. She earned a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1999) and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University/SMFA (2005). Her work has been exhibited in a variety of locations including:  Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Miami, FL; Philadelphia, PA; San Jose, CA; and Austin, TX. She has attended residencies at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of NM (2019), Vermont Studio Center (2017) and The Banff Centre (2015). As part of the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places TEMPO 2D Program, Harrell was commissioned to create a mural at the Jamie Odom Gazebo on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail in downtown Austin which will remain on display until August of 2020. Harrell is honored to be a 2020 Pollock-Krasner Grantee.

Harrell’s ongoing fascination with infrastructure is rooted in the unique landscapes of the cities in which she has lived. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, she was surrounded by the many bridges, railroads and mill towers around the city. Her early adult years were spent riding the elevated trains of Chicago, spotting telephone lines and water towers perched on rooftops. In 2005 she moved to Austin, TX where the skies seemed bigger and more open. Though ignored by most, she found herself captivated by the cellular and radio towers standing like totems dotting the horizon. Her current fixation is the remnants or “skeletons” of old signs.