Tamara B. Thomas, Melded Art And Business, 63
DGH
Tamara B. Thomas, a visionary art advisor who masterminded art
programs for a wide range of clients and helped hundreds of artists
create public projects, died Friday, April 2, 2004, in her sleep while
on a business trip to San Francisco, California, the cause of death
not yet having been determined, at the age of 63.
A well-schooled, urbane authority on public art and corporate art
collecting, Thomas cut an elegant figure and kept a sharp focus. She
created a professional role for herself and developed great skill as a
liaison between the worlds of art and business. Fine Arts Services,
the Los Angeles company she founded in 1970, designed and implemented
more than 500 art programs for public agencies and private
institutions in the United States and abroad.
"She set the standard for what public art should be and took it to a
new level," said Jody Rassell, Thomas' business partner for about 20
years.
"Tamara was in a league of her own," said San Francisco environmental
artist Doug Hollis. "She had such passion for what she was doing, and
she was a fantastic facilitator. More than an advocate, she was an
ally. You could trust her."
Working in a minefield of bureaucratic processes, governmental rules
and artistic sensitivities, Thomas pulled off many complicated
projects. Her most ambitious accomplishments include "California
Scenario," a critically acclaimed sculpture garden and contemplative
environment by Isamu Noguchi, between the San Diego Freeway and the
Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa; "Union Station
Gateway," a four-part project composed of works by 17 artists in
downtown Los Angeles; and "Capitol Area East End Complex," an
installation of works by 23 artists in and around five state office
buildings in Sacramento.
Born in Oakland in 1940, Thomas majored in art history at UC Berkeley
and studied art at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. She
established herself in New York in the late 1960s, building an art
collection for shopping center mogul Alfred Taubman and installing
artworks in his properties.
In her early days in Los Angeles, Thomas described herself as an art
subcontractor. Persuading clients to buy art that would enhance their
buildings and elevate their images, she assembled collections and
commissioned individual pieces.
In the late 1970s, her primary client was Security Pacific National
Bank, which acquired thousands of artworks for its headquarters and
branch offices. By 1985, she was buying about $3 million of art a year
for banks, real estate developers, law firms and public utilities.
As corporate collecting waned, Thomas shifted her work to the public
arena. At her death, she was working on a public program for the San
Pedro waterfront, intended to transform 440 acres into art-filled
promenades, plazas and gardens.
"Tamara was one of a kind," said Los Angeles sculptor Jud Fine, who
created a large installation for the Sacramento project. "Unlike many
other art consultants who pander to their clients, she educated them
about art and looked out for the artists."
Hyfler/Rosner
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