Crawford Alumni Center
Tech Took Us There
Fine arts alumnus remembered for making the world a more beautiful place
Tennessee Tech fine arts alumnus Jesse Filoteo made the world a more beautiful place.
His artwork graces local businesses, logos, websites and billboards. He was also an
advocate for the environment, passionately fighting against pollution and climate
change. For Jesse, art and conservation weren’t simply a career or hobby. They were
a way of life.
Tragically, Jesse passed away in a hiking accident near Snowden Mountain peak in Colorado on July 4, 2024. He was just 25 years old.
“Jesse’s life was short, but it was really full,” said Gina Filoteo, Jesse’s mother. “Jesse touched so many people’s lives, and he did so many things around our community. He left a legacy.”
Gina says Jesse’s artistic talent was evident at four years old, and he always had an entrepreneurial spirit.
“Whatever idea he had in his mind, he would pour himself into it,” Gina said. “Jesse was the type of person who put his heart into the things he wanted to do.”
Jesse’s talent extended beyond traditional visual artwork; he was a gifted writer as well. During his senior year of high school, Jesse won Best in Show from the Interfaith Peace Project for his poem titled “Do It For Mom” about the urgent need for action regarding climate change.
“At first I thought the poem was about me!” Gina laughed. “But it was about Mother Earth – Mother Nature.”
Jesse graduated from Cookeville High School in 2016, and he graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee Tech in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a concentration in graphic design. He worked as a graphic designer for two and a half years before leaving the comfort of a design studio to reconnect with nature and find joy in the great outdoors with the Appalachian Conservation Corps. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation service organizations working to improve the world through healthy land, air and water; thriving people and resilient communities.
“Who would leave an air-conditioned graphic design office to go dig in the dirt?”
Gina asked. “But he loved it. He wanted to give back to humanity and make the world
a better place.”
Last spring, while serving with the ACC in Virginia, Jesse was part of a small backcountry crew responsible for improving and replacing signs on the South Pedlar ATV trail system. This ensured visitors could navigate the trail system and enjoy nature safely. In May, Jesse transitioned to Colorado where he served with the Southwest Conservation Corps based in Durango. He was a certified sawyer (chainsaw operator) and part of a crew working on the Wood-for-Life program. He saw an opportunity to help indigenous communities by repurposing timber destined for burning into firewood, ensuring families could stay warm during harsh winters.
Gina says she was not surprised by Jesse’s change in career path. He had long been an avid outdoorsman and found a love for hiking and camping through the Boy Scouts of America. Jesse’s ultimate goal in joining the SCC was to become a forest firefighter and put himself on reserve. Then, he planned to earn a master’s degree in fine arts at Tech so he could teach graphic design at Tech as well.
While at ACC and SCC, Jesse’s passion for art and storytelling never faded. He posted regularly on social media, including short videos of his adventures with the Conservation Corps. He also continued to create art and had plans for an exhibition in Cookeville.
Jesse’s talent touched numerous areas throughout the Upper Cumberland. In 2022, The Silver Fern Gallery in Cookeville featured his solo exhibition, The Impracticality of Youth. And his art helped market local businesses as well. Through an internship with Tech’s Center for Rural Innovation (TCRI), Jesse designed the logo and branding for Happy Trails Brewing Company in Sparta and Jackson County’s “Explore JCTN” tourism initiative, artwork for the online business Turdcules and the website for 20 Degrees Frozen Yogurt Lounge in Cookeville.
In 2020, the Fentress County Chamber of Commerce and Executive’s Office reached out to TCRI to find a student who could design an official county seal, and TCRI connected them with Jesse. Jesse set out to create a seal that the county would not only be proud of but that would also capture the spirit of Fentress County with a recognizable design.
In a 2021 Tech press release by Hannah Krant, Jesse reflected on his experience as a TCRI intern.
“The design internship with the Center for Rural Innovation is really a gem,” Jesse said. “I’ve worked with so many clients that I am having to make difficult decisions as to what to put in my portfolio rather than this mad dash to fill in gaps. As for preparation for the ‘real world,’ it kind of is the real world. We work with real clients and real people and real communities. And my work is out there. I mean, I have a billboard, logos and a number of other things I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of, which is amazing – not to mention the seal.”
Gina says she is grateful for the opportunities Jesse received through TCRI.
“When I visited Fentress County, they told me that Jesse is part of their history,” she said. “And he’s part of Tennessee Tech’s history. Tech’s Center for Rural Innovation cultivated his talent. Universities give students opportunities, and then of course students must use the tools they have in their toolbox to take advantage of those opportunities.”
TCRI staff say that while Jesse will be greatly missed, there is some comfort in knowing his art will remain in the region for many years to come.
“Jesse was an exceptional designer and an exceptional person,” said Andrea Kruszka, assistant director of TCRI. “Beyond his skills as a designer, he was always quick to offer advice or ideas to others and connected us with other designers who could use the same experience he received. He wasn’t competitive or protective of his talent. Instead, he shared his knowledge and helped others be better – whether as artists or as people. Those of us who were lucky enough to know him are better for it.”
Dr. Michael Aikens, assistant vice president for Economic Development, adds, “Jesse’s passion for design and life was an inspiration to his fellow students and beyond. He contributed immensely to Jackson and Fentress counties, among others, and his art will live on as a testament to his talent. Though we mourn his loss, his legacy is immortalized in the art found throughout the Upper Cumberland.”
Molly Perry (’22 fine arts) knew Jesse as both a colleague and a friend.
“Thanks to Jesse, I was introduced to TCRI as a graphic design intern,” Perry said. “Without him, I may never have found this amazing job! Jesse was the kind of friend who always showed up for you, and the quality of work he produced for TCRI inspired me to improve and grow as a designer. I first knew Jesse as an artist, but I came to see him as a friend, an athlete, a romantic and someone who was brave enough to really live his life. I am forever grateful to have had him in my life, and I will try to make him as proud of me as I was of him.”
Jesse received a scholarship to attend Tech, and the Filoteo family plans to establish the Jesse Filoteo Art Scholarship to give back and help future generations of gifted artists as well.
Kimberly Winkle, director of Tech’s School of Art, Craft & Design and professor of art, says the School is grateful for the scholarship that will honor and remember Jesse in such a special way.
“Jesse was a beloved member of the School of Art, Craft & Design family,” Winkle said. “I had the privilege of having him as a student in two courses where he was a bright shining star. His artwork was always far above the expectation; it was innovative, well executed and utterly impressive. Moreover, he carried himself with integrity. He was honest, polite, very respectful to all who he encountered and willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. We are heartbroken by his passing, but we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to know him. Jesse was one of a kind in all the best ways possible.”
David Gallop, associate professor of design and digital media, added, “Jesse exemplified excellence as a design student, marked by his courage, endless curiosity, genuine kindness and unwavering work ethic. Witnessing his transformation over four years into a bold, confident designer was a privilege beyond words. His professional journey, though brief, was guided by purpose and integrity, leaving an indelible mark on everyone around him. While his absence is deeply felt, his legacy endures within our design studio, continuing to inspire future generations.”
And Jesse’s legacy endures through his art, which will be featured in Art Round Tennessee’s First Friday series – pop-up art shows on the First Friday of each month – at Meg’s Bread in Cookeville in September and at Tech’s Roaden University Center in October. Jesse will also be featured in Cookeville’s Art Prowl Nov. 8-9, an annual art fair and studio tour in Cookeville’s historic Westside featuring more than 80 artists Upper Cumberland artists.
Gina says that many of Jesse’s friends, classmates and SCC crewmates have reached out to offer condolences and share their favorite stories about Jesse. Some have even gotten tattoos of Jesse’s artwork. And they want to stay in touch with the Filoteo family.
“I’ve lost a son,” Gina said. “But I’ve gained many sons and daughters through all of his friends. We are all holding on to these memories.”
The Jesse Filoteo Memorial Scholarship Endowment will be funded through gifts from friends, family and the community Jesse loved, as well as through the sale of Jesse’s artwork. To make a gift, visit https://www.tntech.edu/fine-arts/art/filoteo-endowment.php or mail a check to Tennessee Tech, Box 1915, Cookeville, TN 38505, and indicate that you wish to support the Jesse Filoteo Memorial Scholarship Endowment.
