Thea Marx

A fifth generation Wyoming native, Thea was hired in 1997 as executive director of the Western Design Conference in Cody, Wyoming. From that point on, she embarked on transforming the show into an internationally-recognized source of fine western design.

As a result, she found within her a passion for design of all things western, devoting all her energy to working with the craftspeople and artists and growing an organization that would proudly promote their work.

For six years as director of the WDC, she helped new and budding artists develop into experienced and acknowledged creators of fine western design while endeavoring to promote the masterful works of the era's finest established craftsmen. She learned from the masters of the genre, grew with the newcomers and loyally fought for western's recognition in the design realm.

The Western Design Conference now attracts buyers from several continents and fosters western design around the World.

Thea has continued elevating the awareness of the genre by establishing a new venue for Western Design: Style West- an annual show in Cody, Wyoming dedicated to emerging western artists and designers. She has created an online source of fine western design at www.contemporarywesterndesign.com. For every issue of Western Art and Architecture, she writes Designing the West, a column dedicated to Interior Designers. As a tribute to her ranching heritage, she writes a feature story for every issue of The Cowboy Way on a ranch family who has been operating for four or more generations. Her favorite western products, recipes and personalities find themselves a part of Ranch Living a special section in The Cowboy Way dedicated to ranch women. Soul Ranch is her creative outlet in a blog.

When Thea is not writing or producing she is styling fashion shoots or home décor pages for magazines.

Beyond work, she enjoys the company of her 98 year old Grandmother and 11 year old daughter. "Having grandma in our house is a blessing. But I truly don't know who keeps me more on my toes, my little girl or little grandma! Needless to say, there is rarely a dull moment." Really, how could there be a dull moment when the household is completed with 4 dogs, 2 cats and 6 horses?

Thea yearns for the day when she can be back on a ranch and have cows in her life. She needs the mix of earthy ranch and full blown insanity of design. She is a fashion nut too. Chalk that up to opposites attracting.

Thea's broad background includes management, marketing, public relations, social work and finance. Her days of growing up on a cow/calf operation in central Wyoming and extensive travel abroad, has done much to fashion her personal approach to life by giving her solid values with a flair for the cosmopolitan.