As early as first grade, Teena McClelland ’98 learned that people responded to her drawings. Naturally, when McClelland started at Southwestern, she majored in art. Within five days of her first year at Southwestern, she got a work-study position at the "new" Korouva Milk Bar. She adds, "I wanted to be a part of a community that was relaxed and smart. I hoped this hangout would be the meeting place for the creative intellectuals of Southwestern. I figured there would be a Winona Ryder and an Ethan Hawke. The Milk Bar crew encouraged me to paint the walls, hang artwork and discuss it."

What really enhanced McClelland's artist educational experience was participation in the Great Lakes Colleges Association New York Program 1997. McClelland, along with seven other Southwestern students, spent a semester in New York City working full-time with a fashion designer and still taking a few courses. She explains, "It kicked my butt, but living and working in New York instilled great confidence. I decided who I wanted to be. And, I felt proud of what I was doing." The Program also introduced McClelland to Nancy Spero and Leon Golub, alumni of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She describes Spero and Golub as "the most brilliant and generous artists. They quickly became my role models."

It was at the School of the Art Institute that McClelland began to refine her ideas of art-making. She realized, "I wanted to learn how to clearly express my creative ideas. I knew that I had refined my crafting abilities in numerous studio classes. The Liberal Arts education at Southwestern encouraged me to seek further satisfaction than simply making a pretty picture. My work needed to engage, mentally and emotionally, and leave a mark on its audience." With her thesis project at SAIC, McClelland created *in interior interventions. The company *in creates situations, rather than decorating rooms. She adds, "I would rather insert a story, not just curtains." McClelland began to collaborate using strategies of *in into her current project with fellow artist Michelle Maynard, Death by Design, Co. She explained, "Death by Design, Co. offers anyone the chance to become a movie star. We make movie sets to play out personalized death scenes--and we leave the aftermath of the death in the gallery space for viewing."

She explains, "I believe that opportunities can come from both calamity and banality. When I work, my aim is to arouse the creative aptitude of my audience and collaborators through directness and humor."

McClelland's creativity continues with her work at the SAIC. Currently serving as the assistant administrative director for the Liberal Arts, Art History, and Visual & Critical Studies Departments she converses with professors in an academic setting. McClelland also teaches drawing classes at the School of the Art Institute. This summer, she traveled to Japan to transport Art History students studying abroad. She continues to investigate future ideas and projects as an artist. She explains, "Currently, I am interested in finding the medium between the art and entertainment. My artistic intentions have always been aimed towards the optimistic end that art can help society function with intelligence."