Conversation with Tess Steele!
Thank you so much for your responses to our newsletter last week with Laura Deleot! This week we are talking with Tess Steele (C’18). She has lots of passion and fun experiences to share with us!
Did you have any internships during your time at Sewanee? If so, what were they?
“Freshmen year, I worked as an Admissions Intern at Sewanee. The next summer, I was a tour guide and curatorial intern at Monticello in Charlottesville, VA, which was such a social way to put my art history knowledge to use! In my third year, I interned at Guarisco Gallery in DC, giving me a flavor for the world of private art sales. Post-graduation I interned at the Virginia Quarterly Review at UVA.”
What made you decide to major in Art History?
“I never had access to humanity classes in high school, motivating me to go to Sewanee in the first place. Freshman year, I took Survey of Western Art II with Dr. Thompson, and absolutely loved it! I’ve always been interested in history, but I so enjoyed learning it through beautiful objects, architecture, and visual culture. It made me more curious about the relationships between material culture and beauty from a political, social, and spiritual lens, which complimented my studies as a philosophy major.”
What was your favorite art history course you took at Sewanee?
“Tough call-- I’ll give you two. Dr. Clark’s Greek and Roman Art and Architecture course was a beast. Clark’s irreverence with his broad focus on the influence of politics and social conditions was a compelling, and often hilarious, framing of antiquity. In the spirit of liberal arts, I’ve always been interested in Greek and Roman mythology, and he didn’t disappoint.
“Dr. Thompson’s “Films of Alfred Hitchcock” class is a close second. It’s a popular course, so students from other departments were in the class, offering a refreshing blend of perspectives. It was also a great foundation for how to watch films critically, which is something I’ve absolutely taken with me beyond the course.”
Where did you go after graduating? What’s your story postgrad?
“After graduation, I spent a month in Greece visiting one of my best friends, seeing the ruins, and drinking too much Ouzo – truly the trip of a lifetime. Reality called, and I got a job as an Admissions Representative at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. The school is remarkably international, letting me keep a pulse on the contemporary art scene in the Southeast and globally.
“During Covid, I moved to Nice, France to teach English as a TAPiF assistant. A majority of France was closed, nonetheless, experiencing Southern France without tourists was special.
“After Nice, I moved to New York and got my MBA, and am now an executive headhunter for venture capital-backed tech companies. It is a real 180 from art history- to excel at my job, I follow the market, technology trends, etc. I love layering a well-rounded background to these real-time news cycles and shifts. It helps keep me grounded.”
If you had to give one piece of advice to your college self, what would it be?
“Don’t worry about your future so much. Everything is going to be fine- relax a little bit. And you don’t need to be an economics major to get a real job!”
What’s your favorite museum/ gallery/ exhibit/ work of art you’ve seen recently?
“I went to the Prado Museum when I was working in France, and there were hardly any tourists with Covid restrictions. It was incredible to be alone in front of Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. My boyfriend, Peter Bahr (C’2020) works at Sotheby’s Auction House, so it is always exciting to see the rotating door of artwork that comes through there.”
How has your art history major helped you in your daily life?
“Art history encouraged my curiosity and confidence to be involved in the art scenes of Atlanta and New York, and despite not working in the arts, I have incredible access to museums and gallery events. Peter’s job at Sotheby’s affords us plenty of opportunities to be in the art world, which is an amazing perk. Keeping my passions separate from my career allows me to have a balanced and rich life. My literary interests are also so much deeper because of art history- studying 20th-century Western art was a great foray into Hemingway, Joyce, Wharton, etc. Art history has made my life leagues more romantic- who could regret that?”
Thank you so much, Tess, for sharing your experiences with us! As always, if you are interested in hearing more, don’t hesitate to reach out. Be on the lookout for our newsletter next week with Sydney Gemes (C’15)!