Tessa "Ellie" Eleonore Schmidt
b. 1992, Colorado
tessa.eleonore@gmail.com | 303.906.7732
Education
PhD Candidate, Media Arts + Practice, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
2022 MFA in Visual Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
2014 BA in Studio Arts with distinction, cum laude, Carleton College, Northfield
2013 Cinema Semester, Fundación Universidad del Cine, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2012 Marine Ecology in Eastern Australia, Carleton College Study Abroad
Solo and 2-Person Exhibitions
2020 A Herring Opera video installation, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
2017 Iguanas Encantadas (with FABO), El Faro, Puerto Villamil, Galápagos, Ecuador
2016 Wolves and Other Monsters (with Ramona Ring), Island Institute, Sitka, AK
2015 Emerging Artists Show (with Mike Cimino), Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, MN
2015 The Oceans Are Getting Louder, Weitz Center for Creativity, Northfield, MN
Group Exhibitions
2024-2025 Displacement, MassArt Art Museum, Boston, MA
2024 IMAPPENING, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, CA
2023 Windows and Blinds, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, CA
2023-2024 How to Survive, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK
2022-2023 Alaska Biennale, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK
2022 Pride: History, Now, and Tomorrow, Centennial Hall, Sitka, AK
2022 Our Blue Planet: Global Visions of Water, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
2022 Close but Not Touching, MFA Thesis Show, Stamps Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
2021 Pride: History, Now, and Tomorrow, Centennial Hall, Sitka, AK
2021 Solid States: Image/Object in the Age of 3D Printing, thepostdigitalprintmaker Gallery, online
2021 The Dream is Not All Dream, Stamps Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
2021 Choose Your Own Adventure, online exhibition hosted by Stamps Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
2020 Respond, Resist, Rethink, Stamps Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
2019 Open Studios: Blue, Yaw Arts Center, Sitka, AK
2019 CLOAKS, Yaw Arts Center, Sitka, AK
2019 Girls, Backdoor Cafe, Sitka, AK
2018 Love and Land III, Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Sitka, AK
2017 Resident Open Studios, Elsewhere Studios, Paonia, CO
2017 Of Love and Land II, The Loft, Sitka, AK
2017 Final Residency Exhibition, Point Couverden Homestead, AK
2016 Of Love and Land, 1403 HPR, Sitka, AK
2016 Underwater Photographs, Backdoor Cafe, Sitka, AK
2016 Petal Tears, 4208 russell ave #14, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Drift: Images from Land, Air, and Sea, Island Institue, Sitka, AK
2015 Sitka Fellows Open Studios Exhibition, Allen Hall, Sitka, AK
2015 Open Road, Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, MN
2015 Disposal, Northfield Art Guild, Northfield, MN
2014 Migration Patterns, Perlman Teaching Museum, Northfield, MN
2013 Tips Appreciated, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Screenings
Fishing with Wally (2021)
2022 International Maritime Film Festival, Bucksport, ME
MAGMA Film Awards, Hawaii, online
2022 Ivy Film Festival, Providence, RI
2022 Made In Hawaii Film Festival, Hilo and Kona, HI
2022 International Ocean Film Festival, San Francisco, CA
2022 Thunder Bay International Film Festival, Alpena, MI
2021 Chicago Indie Film Awards, Chicago, IL
2021 Maui Film Festival, Kahului, HI
2021 Independent Shorts Awards, Los Angeles, CA
Gáax’w Ka Haaw: Herring Eggs & Branches (2020)
2022 Jackson Wild: World Wildlife Day Film Showcase: Recovering Species
2021 International Ocean Film Festival, San Francisco, CA
2020 Sealaska Heritage Institute, Juneau, AK
2020 Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival, Australia
2020 International Maritime Film Festival, Bucksport, ME
2020 MINT Film Festival, Billings, MT
2020 Seattle True Independent Film Festival, WA
2020 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York, NY
A Herring Opera (2018)
2024 10th Annual Herring Festival, Sausalito Community Boating Center
2020 International Ocean Film Festival Home Edition— Earth Day Special
2019 The Sheldon Jackson Museum, Sitka, AK
2019 Sitka Coliseum, Sitka, AK
2018 After Dark: A Herring Opera, Exploratorium Museum, San Francisco, CA
2018 Thunder Bay International Film Festival, Alpena, MI
2018 Anchorage International Film Festival, Anchorage, AK
2018 International Maritime Film Festival, Bucksport, ME
2018 CineMare International Film Festival, Kiel, Germany
2018 Oceanside International Film Festival, Oceanside, CA
2018 International Ocean Film Festival, San Francisco, CA
2018 Yosemite Film Festival, online distribution
2018 Elsewhere Studios, Paonia, CO
I Follow Rivers (2015)
2019 Nature Through Her Eyes Festival, Perpignan, France
2015 Anchorage International Film Festival, Anchorage, AK
2015 Alaska Ocean Observation System Film Contest, online distribution
Awards and Residencies
2023 Arts + Climate Collective Scholarship, University of Southern California
2023 Annenberg Fellowship, University of Southern California
2023 Frank Sinatra Endowment Fund, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California
2023 Embodied Geology Residency, Santa Fe Art Institute
2022-2023 Second Assistant Program, National Geographic Society
2022-23 Fulbright Open Study Research Fellowship, Fiji
2021 ArtsEngine Grant, University of Michigan
2021 National Geographic Society Field Ready Fellow
2020 Smucker Wagstaff Project Grant, Stamps School of Art & Design
2020 Grand Prize in Short Films, International Maritime Film Festival, Bucksport, ME
2019 Arctic Circle Residency, Svalbard, Norway
2019 Rasmuson Project Award, Rasmuson Foundation, Anchorage, AK
2018 National Geographic Early Career Grant
2018 Grand Prize in Short Films, International Maritime Film Festival, Bucksport, ME
2017 Elsewhere Studios Residency, Paonia, CO
2017 Couverden Homestead Artist in Residence
2016 National Geographic Young Explorers Grant
2015 Alaska Ocean Observation System Film Contest Winner, Creative Category
2015 Sitka Fellow Residency, Sitka, AK
2014 Distinction in the Studio Arts Major, Carleton College
2014 Toni Award in the Arts
2014 Four Friends Fellowship
2013 Carleton Independent Research Grant
2013 Finalist: Nick Adams Short Story Contest
2012 Shackel Internship Fund Recipient
2012 Weitz Center for Creativity Humanities Center Art Contest First Place
2011 Golden Schillers Film Festival First Place and Audience Choice Award
Publications and Broadcasts
Sheila-Na-Gig online Volume 3.4, Summer 2019, a big, beautiful thing, herring season, harbor in February
2018 North County San Diego Public Access Television, Oceanside, CA, A Herring Opera
Warmer, A Collection of Comics about Climate Change for the Fearful & Hopeful, Consummate
Rascal Ecological Journal, The Joy of Being Animal
Editor and contributor, Selkie Zine
Press
2024 The Alaska Current, Alaska’s zine scene continues to grow by Victoria Petersen
2023 Your Alaskan Link, Anchorage Museum's new exhibit: "How to Survive" studies their own carbon footprint
2022 The Michigan Daily, ‘Close But Not Touching’ at Stamps Gallery celebrates unity and individuality by Kaya Ginsky
2022 Stamps School of Art & Design website, Close But Not Touching: The 2022 MFA Thesis Exhibition
2021 Anchorage Museum, Museum Journal, “Love, Loss and Longing: Ellie Schmidt on Relationships to Land in Climate Crisis,” by Francesca Du Brock, Chief Curator
2021 Sophie Kissin Jewelry: Interview with Ellie Schmidt: Artist behind the Sirena Collection Collab with SKJ
2020 @UMichStudents Podcast, "Ellie Schmidt: Respond, Resist, Rethink Exhibition"
2020 National Wildlife Federation Blog, “How Art Can Inspire Climate Action: Alaska’s climate activists call for action through art,” online
2020 Alaska Public Radio, “Sitka zine workshop helps artists ‘feel the madness’ in climate change”
2020 Sitka Sentinel, “Artist Ellie Schmidt receives funding from UAS program,” Community Happenings, SItka, AK
2018 KCAW Raven Radio, “Film screening connects Standing Rock to Herring Rock,” Sitka, AK
2017 BOMB Magazine, “Warmer: A Collection of Comics About Climate Change for the Fearful & Hopeful.”
2015 KCAW Raven Radio Morning Interview: “Artist dives into ocean ecology (and dances with sealions),” Sitka, AK
Employment
Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Selkie Snorkels LLC, Sitka, AK (2022-current)
Teaching Assistant, School of Cinematic Arts, USC, Los Angeles (current)
2nd Assistant for David Liittschwager, National Geographic Society, Moss Landing, CA (2023)
Graduate Student Instructor, Stamps School of Art & Design, U Michigan, Ann Arbor (2022)
Graduate Student Instructor of Record, Stamps School of Art & Design, U Michigan, Ann Arbor (2021)
Deckhand and Engineer, F/V I Gotta, Sitka, AK (2017 - 2019)
Deckhand, F/V Kodiak Sockeye, Sitka, AK (2018)
Deckhand, F/V Jodan, Sitka, AK (2018)
Deckhand, SSV Robert C. Seamans, Sea Education Association, Whangarei, New Zealand (2018)
Deckhand, F/V Williwaw, Juneau, AK (2017)
2nd Camera, Assistant, "Uprivers" documentary, British Columbia and Alaska (2016)
Summer Intern, Artchange Inc., Sitka, AK (June - August) 2016
Field Volunteer, Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone National Park, WY (Feb-March 2016)
Deckhand, F/V I Gotta, Sitka, AK (2015)
Educational Associate for Art and Art History, Carleton College (2014-2015)
Evening Supervisor, Gould Library (2014-2015)
Assistant Coach, Carleton Varsity Volleyball (2014)
Art Intern, Teens4Oceans Boulder, CO (2014)
Ceramics Studio Monitor, Carleton College (2012-2014)
Climbing Wall Supervisor, Carleton College Rec Center (2011-2014)
Painting Teaching Assistant for Rob Head, Nantucket, MA (2013)
Gallery Intern, Robert Foster Fine Art Gallery, Nantucket, MA (2013)
Highlights Video Creator, Carleton College (2012-2013)
Ceramics Assistant, Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, Nantucket, MA (2012)