L IFESTYLE /C ULTURE
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Philly Faces: Tessa Haas
P H I LLY FACES
LEAH SNYDERMAN | JE CONTRIBUTING
WRITER TESSA HAAS, 24, wouldn’t
call herself an artist.

During her high school
summers, she would attend
precollege programs and take
classes in the arts. One of these
summers she attended the
Maryland Institute College of
Art in Baltimore. Th ere was a
compulsory curatorial studies
lecture every Friday that lasted
fi ve hours where she heard
from “really serious curato-
rial people.” Th e fi nal project
was what sparked something
in her.

The directions were to
curate anything. Haas was
able to work with art without
actually making it.

As a curator, she could
bolster other artists’ work
and careers.

“Particularly artists who
haven’t developed being able
to advocate for themselves the
best,” she said. “Helping them
is what’s really exciting to me.”
What made you decide to go
back to school for your Ph.D.?
One of the things that drew
me to Bryn Mawr’s undergrad
programs specifi cally was the
fi ve-year master’s. I stayed
on for the additional year for
my master’s, and that’s what
I was planning on doing. I
was planning on getting a job
and working and then going
back for my Ph.D. later. But,
there was an open spot, so they
invited me to join the Ph.D.

program a couple days before
graduation for my masters.

To do any kind of curato-
rial work at this point in the
fi eld you really need a Ph.D.,
so, in a more practical sense, I
needed it. I’m also a creature of
habit. I want to go as deep as I
can into something, but what I
have learned is that you don’t
learn everything in your fi eld.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Was there a specifi c
moment in your life
that made you decide
you wanted to work in
art? I grew up in the D.C.

suburbs and my parents
both work in the D.C.

area, so we would
go in a lot and visit
museums. Th at’s really
how I learned most of
the things I was inter-
ested in. Museums were
Tessa Haas
Courtesy of Tessa Haas
such interesting and
engaging places.

Th ere were people in my life busy school and work is. I like
who encouraged me to try art at the phases that happen.

I’m not the type of person
a really young age. I had a really
good elementary art teacher, that can sit down and make
and I would have lunch with something for eight hours. I’m
her most days. My dad’s high not as disciplined of a person
school adviser, Robin Wood, that one would need to be
was a huge person engaged in an artist.

the arts. She just really encour-
aged people to make things. How does Philly inspire you?
Th ere’s so many artists and
My mom comes from a line
of women who do textile art, the arts community is very
so we had a lot of embroidery tight knit. It’s small, but it’s
around the house growing up. also big enough that you’re
I had small bits of the arts in still meeting new people.

Th ere’s always new exhibits
my life.

My mentor and boss, Ruth and new ideas and new ways
Fine, is a huge inspiration. of engaging people with the
I work in her home, and it’s arts. Th ere’s a lot of public and
fi lled with the most incredible private funding in Philly for
artwork. She’s in her 80s now, the arts. Th e communities I’ve
so she’s collected things over engaged with really put time
time. I admire her space and and/or money into the arts.

her openness to hearing about However you can give is so
diff erent ways things are done. meaningful.

Th ere’s a really strong DIY
My partner has a very big
arts scene which is probably
infl uence on me. He does
what I’m more engaged with.

architecture work and we’ve
worked on some design I do freelance work at Fleisher
Art Memorial as a contract
projects together.

archivist; I’m a curator at
Do you prefer to work with art AUTOMAT Gallery, and I’m
an assistant to Ruth Fine, a
over actually making it?
I do. I like making art, but freelance curator. We’ve been
I don’t think I make art in a working on a retrospective of
serious way. I go through these her late husband’s work, the
phases where I’ll get really deep artist Larry Day. Th e show
into something, but not for will open at Woodmere Art
very long. I was on a painting Museum, Th e University of the
kick a few years ago, but I Arts and Arcadia Exhibitions. ●
don’t do it anymore. Same with
weaving. I’m making earrings Leah Snyderman is an intern for the
right now. It depends on how Jewish Exponent.

JEWISH EXPONENT
P o w e r W a s h i n g
W i n d o w W a s h i n g
Ch a n d e l i e r C l e a n i n g
H a r d w o o d W a x
Gu t t e r C l e a n i n g
BRUCKER’S Pa p e r H a n g i n g
P a i n t i n g
D e c k S e a l i n g
E s t a t e C l e a n O u t s
C a r p e t C l e a n i n g
Home Maintenance
215-576-7708 Insured
“We fix what your husband repaired”
5HYHUVH0RUWJDJH 5HYHUVH3XUFKDVH
JEFFREY HORROW
6HUYLQJ3$ )/ 0LFKDHO)ULHGPDQ
nmls 
$)LQDQFLDO3ODQQLQJ7RRO PA054592
Personalized Tax Preparation
and Accounting For Individuals
and Businesses.

$6DIHW\1HW)RU 6HQLRUV2OGHU$GXOWV
 
LQIR#UHYHUVLQJPWJFRP ZZZUHYHUVLQJPWJFRP
610-828-7060 SJHorrow.com
SJHorrow@gmail.com To advertise
in our
BOOKEEPING SERVICES
Call 215-832-0749
Quickbooks Experience
Directories 610-715-3637
HEALTHCARE DIRECTORY
Compassionate Caregivers 365
Companions-Housekeepers Available Now!
Call Marsha: 610-848-8847
changing addresses?
DON’T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE
OF THE
Call 215.832.0700 or email
subscriptions@jewishexponent.com with your new address.

www.jewishexponent.com AUGUST 5, 2021
23