“You don’t take pictures with your camera. You take pictures with your heart and mind.”

~Arnold Newman

Andrea Passarella is a contemporary visual storyteller and educator with over 20 years of experience in photography, arts education, and contemplative arts pedagogy. She weaves photography with mindful practice, supporting students of all ages in making intentional creative choices grounded in their own understanding as they engage with the world around them. Through reflective practices, open dialogue, and creative exploration, Andrea fosters curiosity, emotional awareness, and the agency to take risks. She guides students in developing a visual language that is both technically strong and personally meaningful.

From studying with renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark in the neighborhoods of Oaxaca to leading workshops in Los Angeles and conducting research in higher education, she brings a holistic approach to teaching and learning—an approach reflected in Mark’s observation:

“You have a warm and great way with people, and it shows in your pictures.”

~MEM

My artistic work explores themes of memory, matriarchy, labor, and resilience. Projects such as Remembering the Matriarch and Below the Line inform my teaching, offering concrete examples of how art can connect with community, history, and identity. These projects demonstrate to students the power of art as both personal expression and social engagement.

I’ve come to understand that knowing where we come from shapes how we experience the world. This insight has become the heart of my academic and personal inquiry, guiding both my mindfulness practice and my exploration of family, culture, and identity.

As a child, I found my first spaces of discovery in the vastness of the woods—exploring, playing, and learning to truly listen to the world around me. Those early moments of wonder became the roots of my contemplative practice and continue to shape the way I move through life.

No artistic or scholarly practice is complete without mindfulness—an ongoing practice of noticing, observing, and being present. This presence, met with the gentle gaze of sometimes, creates space for growth between the edges of always and never. These spaces invite us to meet each moment as it is, with openness, curiosity, and care.

I’m here to support you in your own journey of exploration—your own “mesearch”—and to witness the discoveries that unfold when curiosity and presence come together.