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Tenzing Ortega

A headshot of a smiling Mexican man with a short beard and long pulled back hair.
A multicolored field with three images. The first two images are of the same set. It is the shape of a house that a child might draw that has been split into three modular peices. The first of the two is of a girl in front of the that is lit with fun cyan and red light. The second image the frame of a mirror stands at center as a child wearing a cape pretends to look at their own reflection as a superhero. The last image is of an old woman and a little girl on a set that is very simple expect for the most extraordinary floor. The floor is patterned like Talavera tiles in purples, magentas, yellows, cyans and whites. It seems luminous and glows in the light.

Tenzing Ortega (Scenic Design) (He/Him) is a member of the Class of 2025 who passed suddenly in the summer before his second year. Smartest Girl in the Worldwas performed in the fall of 2023 with his designs and was the final design of an extraordinary career. He represented Mexico twice at the Prague Quadrennial and designed countless shows in at least a dozen countries. He was famous amongst his peers for his unparalleled floor treatments. His cohort, classmates, students, and friends remember him best for his wicked sense of humor, love of mezcal, and incredible hugs.

The legacy he leaves in his community is one of caring mentorship, an easy laugh, and custom-made memes that still circulate among those who know him.