DLA Q&A: Tessa Wiser

Tessa Wiser is a charismatic and creative force in Downtown Lincoln. She is deeply invested in the downtown community, local connections, and her fantastic artwork.

BY MARCUS FERTIG

Throughout her time at the Downtown Lincoln Association, she has energized the community through her care and advocacy for local businesses. 

At the same time, she has carved a space for herself among the city's talented emerging artists with unique abstract art pieces.  

Q: How long have you been with the DLA, and what is your role?

A: “I’ve been with the DLA since June of 2021 so I’m going on four years this year.  At one point, I was the marketing coordinator. Now, I am the communications coordinator.  I did a lot of the newsletter stories and social media, but now I do more graphic design and whatever else I can get my hands on.  It feels like something new each week which is always exciting.”  

Q: What drew you to this job?

A: “Funny enough, I had a friend message me about a job opening at the DLA; I actually thought she was talking about the Defense Logistics Agency or something crazy like that.  She explained that it was the Downtown Lincoln Association, and I was like, “Oh okay, I see what it is all about.”  I met with Todd pretty soon after, and after the meeting, he offered me the job within seven minutes of being there.” 

“At the time I was living downtown, I was working at another non-profit downtown, I was also working at a restaurant downtown, I was basically breathing in Downtown Lincoln every moment. Being able to work for Downtown Lincoln made sense to me. And I count my stars every day I found this job.”

Wiser posing with art piece "Sad Boy"

Q: What is your favorite part of the job?

A: “I love all the connections I’ve made, and I love all my coworkers.  I love it all. I'm very in love with my job.  I really like supporting local businesses and advocating for them which is kind of what Downtown Lincoln does.

I knew I was working at a good place when, at my other job, we had to make huge changes due to COVID after the first initial lockdown, and my boss, Todd, messaged me to call him after I sent a message to my coworkers complaining. In my head, I was like,  “Oh wow, I’m getting fired, I shouldn’t have sent that message, I’m screwed.” When I called Todd, I was incredibly nervous, but when he answered, he asked if I was doing okay and it seemed like I was really stressed and he just wanted to check in and see how I was handling the situation. That was when I realized that DLA was more than just a job, but also a little community. There’s not a lot of us, only like ten in our management team, but I know we have each other's backs. 

Q: If you had to pick a favorite project that you’ve done, what would it be?

A: Probably one of my first projects was a catalog and a story about the most pets in Downtown Lincoln.  It was called “The Furfect Employees of Downtown Lincoln.” Kinda cheesy, but it was a lot of fun meeting the animals.   

Q: What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

"Malachite" by Tessa Wiser, 2023. Materials used include acrylic paint, glass beads, pony beads, mancala pieces, embroidery floss, fishnet fruit bag, and found objects.

A: Well, I am big into painting and reading. I paint abstract mixed media work. I started painting in 2020, and I started with painting all my plant pots, which, if you know me, I have A LOT of plants. Eventually, I moved to painting on canvas and fell in love with it. I think it was about 2021 when I started adding trash into my art; sorry, “found objects,” haha. I love sticking trash into the wet paint; it not only makes me feel better about the waste I produce from painting, but it adds to the texture. I incorporate a lot of unconventional materials like glass beads, chains, paper, and dried paint chips. I love upcycling trash into something beautiful. 

I started doing markets in 2023 outside of Pepe’s Bistro from time to time, mainly because I’m running out of room on my walls to put things. If you like what you see, you can always follow me on Instagram @wise_r.creations. 

Q: What connections have you made within the arts community in Lincoln, and what are they like?

A: I have a First Friday showing at Crescent Moon, so I have made connections with them.  I’ve also shown at a local salon downtown.  I am so excited for my showing at Crescent Moon because it's the first time where people can actually come and see art. The whole space is filled with my art, and that’s daunting but also really cool. 

Q: As an artist in Lincoln, what does it mean to have an outlet like First Friday?

A: It’s really awesome because I consider my painting very much a hobby, but it's really nice having a place to display my work and show it off.

"Tin" by Tessa Wiser, 2024. Materials used include acrylic paint, glass beads, plastic beads, lost jewelry, chains, skateboard bearings, and found objects.

I love going to First Friday to get inspiration, but to also see all the other cool artists that exist in Lincoln, Nebraska. I feel like when people think of Lincoln, they don’t think of art and the artists that are from here, which there are so many cool local artists and galleries in town, it’s a cool community to be a part of. 

It would be nice if people would buy some of my work, purely because I am running out of space in my apartment to keep everything.  There’s no space on the walls, and I definitely want to get rid of some of the clutter. Last time I moved, it was low-key a nightmare! 

Q: Any advice for aspiring artists in Lincoln?

A: Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.  I got the Crescent Moon spot from just reaching out.  People in the community are always happy to help.  

Q: Dream Project in Downtown Lincoln?

A: There’s this project I’ve had in mind since I first started at Downtown Lincoln, but I’m not sure how to pull it off, it’s called LNKInk. I want to shine a spotlight on the tattoo shops in Downtown Lincoln because there’s like six of them and they all do really cool work. I think tattoos are a great way to show off your creativity and showcasing all the awesome work that the tattoo artists do would be a really cool opportunity to bring together and spotlight a whole new community in downtown that I feel like a lot of people overlook. Who knows, maybe it’ll work out someday. I sure hope so, I haven’t given up on it yet! 

 

Tessa Wiser embodies the spirit of Lincoln's thriving culture, fearlessly putting herself out there and trusting her passions and creativity will lead the way.  Whether it’s creating artwork out of discarded materials or advocating for local businesses, she pours her heart into all she does.  Her dedication will leave a lasting mark on the Downtown Lincoln community.