Tess is a born-and-raised New Yorker who recently graduated with a BFA from The Cooper Union. Her studio practice revolves around creating images that explore the experiences and emotions that come from living in such a compact environment. Through her oil paintings, she uses repetitive techniques—such as color, size, and proportion—to emphasize her ideas and push them further. Tess rarely uses local color, intentionally exaggerating tones to heighten the feeling beyond the image itself.

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Growing up, Tess was frequently supported by her parents and teachers to pursue art. This encouragement allowed her, from a young age, to explore emotion, process, and problem-solving in ways that weren’t always available in school.

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Working at Little Makers constantly reminds her why she wants to make art—and how important it is to support creativity from an early age. The Makers she’s lucky to teach never fail to surprise her with their curiosity and creativity. Their questions and ideas not only inspire her to keep learning but also spark new possibilities for the entire team, helping create the most welcoming and supportive environment possible.