Sarah Jo Fischer knows her art. Art is her passion. Art is her calling. Art is her life. And so it’s no wonder she is a highly sought-after consultant, imbuing a sophisticated, personal and even magical element into every project she undertakes. Her take on art is simple, yet in another sense it’s quite profound. “Art is about our culture and our humanity,” she reflects. And because our culture is dynamic, art is constantly changing.”
Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Fischer spent hours in the Art Institute, where her love of art was cemented. She attended college in New Mexico, then moved to the Caribbean to become a cook on private yachts. Her love of art drew her back to Mexico, where she became assistant gallery director of the acclaimed Fenn Gallery, and also served as Chair of the Education Committee of the Georgia O’keeffe Museum. In 2008 she began dabbling in film and television production, and currently consults on the popular series, Better Call Saul, the spinoff hit of Breaking Bad.
And recently, another move, this time to Denver, where she is continuing her successful career as a curator. Her latest move represents the culmination of a massive eight-month project curating a collection for a private foundation for the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in New Mexico. Four additional medical colleges are being built, and Fischer will curate individual collections for each.
Operating from the belief that art’s function is to elevate us emotionally, Fischer strives to challenge her clients to install pieces that spur critical thinking and enhance dialogue. “Art should create an emotional response. And the interesting part is that everyone approaches the visual from their own frame of reference, which influences their perception of the world at large.”
When it comes to selecting a piece of art, Fischer counsels her clients to go beyond the surface, and to search for a deeper connection. Acquiring art is about much more than just appearance, she says. A lot of thought and consideration should go into the process. “There are many questions you should ask before you make a decision. For example, how does it makes you feel? Does it work within your budget? Do you have the space for it? How does it enhance the overall environment you are living or working in?” But the most important piece of all, Fischer says, is to “buy what you love!”
Especially in a private home, Fischer is respectful of the occupant’s personality and careful to inspire that perspective. “Art is the soul of a person and there’s some-thing beautiful about viewing art in that way. It’s the very part of a person that is non-verbal and that can only be expressed through art,” she says. “Take for example the artist who created a certain piece. Often, he cannot even attend his own opening and instead leaves it to the art itself to communicate what he physically cannot.”
Beauty in the eye of the beholder. With a little help from Sara Jo Fisher’s expert guidance.
