About
Theresa Scott, a Michigan native, served in the United States Marine Corps for five years, where she worked as an aircraft electrical technician on the AV-8B Harrier jet while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. She served on the USS Iwo Jima with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2003 to support Operation Enduring Freedom; the unit also provided humanitarian aid in Liberia in response to the Second Liberian Civil War. After leaving the Marnie Corps, she joined the Raleigh Police Department and served as an officer in the Southeast District for six years.
She obtained her Associate in Fine Arts from Johnston Community College in Smithfield, North Carolina. She obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentrations in graphic design and photography and received the Hilley Cup for academic achievement from Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina. Following her success at Barton, she earned her Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University.
Drawing from her life experiences, she uses photography, traditional animation, and oral history to highlight the struggles that individuals may face in a wide array of areas. Her series No One Left Behind (2014-2018) explores the trials and tribulations that service members face during their time in the service, the troubles that challenge them reintegrating into their civilian lives, and the mental unrest they may encounter. The Worst Call (2018) a short animated film offers a rare look from a police officer’s perspective into a tragic 911 emergency call, combining first person narrative with the original audio recordings from the scene of the call. Emblematic of the types of calls police and emergency services respond to daily across the United States, The Worst Call gives witness to the personal toll first responders experience and the long road to recovery and healing for those present at such encounters. The Disappearing Butch pairs photography with recorded audio interviews from each participant that places female masculinity front and center. Her new documentary series, The Road Through “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:” A LGBTQIA+ Veterans History Project, is a documentary series that includes photography recorded and transcribed interviews that offer insight into the lives of LGBTQIA+ service members who served before the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
With her enthusiasm for exploring and adventure Scott began her series It's Not the Destination in 2017. Traveling around on Jack her trusty Softail Slim with the specific purpose of capturing natures breathtaking beauty to share with her viewers. With her wandering spirit, she hopes that through her photography others may find peace and the same spark to stop and examine the small things that make this life so extraordinary.