Tessa Dallarosa

Tessa Dallarosa is an artist and educator whose interdisciplinary practice bridges material exploration, critical theory, and contemporary pedagogy. A native of Laramie and Denver, she holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a BFA from the University of Wyoming, and dual BAs in Philosophy and Sociology from Regis University. Her studio work draws from both fine art and craft, using process, play, and everyday materials to explore meaning-making through repetition and materiality. At the University of Wyoming, she teaches across Foundations, Art Education, Contemporary Art, and Outdoor Studio, with research interests in color theory, place-based learning, and rural art education. In the classroom, she fosters a culture of rigor, experimentation, and radical positivity, encouraging students to engage creativity as a tool for connection and critical inquiry. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she has been recognized with awards for teaching excellence and mentorship.

 

Art as Blueprint: Worldbuilding and Creativity in Contemporary Art invites students to explore worldbuilding through the lens of contemporary art, where creativity becomes a powerful tool for constructing new realities. Students will engage in hands-on artmaking while reflecting on how artists create and shape the world around us. How does art engage with our collective imagination? How can creative practice help us reimagine systems of knowledge and power? Through studio projects, collaborative exercises, guest artist talks, and visits to museums and alternative art spaces, students will investigate themes such as human-animal relationships, digital culture and technology, identity and memory, sustainability and ecology, history and the everyday, healing and humor. Students will experiment using a range of artmaking processes and creative thinking strategies, from conceptual art to the handmade. By the end of the course, students will gain a deeper understanding of how contemporary art opens possibilities for the future and connects to one's own academic field. This course is ideal for students across disciplines who are curious about the role of creativity in shaping tomorrow’s world.