Born in the Northwoods of Minnesota, California Thorson is currently pursuing an MFA in costume technology at The University of Texas at Austin (anticipated spring 2023). She began teaching herself to sew at the age of ten and by high school was volunteering as a costumer for both local and school productions. She later received her BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where she studied English literature, history and philosophy. During this time she also backpacked parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. After graduating with her BA, she got a position at Kings Dominion amusement park where she worked as a costume technician for a variety of venues, creating pieces for outdoor theatre, haunted houses, walk-around characters, and traditionally staged shows. Her recent work (in-between her MFA coursework) includes working wardrobe for local commercials and undertaking various commission work.
