About
Tess Mosko Scherer combines her interest and study of the human psyche, specifically the light and shadow theories of Carl Jung, with her interest in book structures. Mosko Scherer excavates human emotions and archetypal energies that prevail in our human nature. She explores the imbalances between the complex machinations of our inner world and the outer world in which we are seen.
There is an intimate quality to her work which is revealed when experienced up close. Subtle detail, texture, and often words, are found in the compositions of simplified forms and color. She works with water color, pastels, colored pencils and graphite on paper, which is often incised and torn. The torn pieces are sewn together with waxed Irish linen thread to convey complex and universal themes.
“My life would be meaningless if I could not create and use my gifts to benefit others’ lives. Every day I am learning, waking, opening to what is – in nature and in my studio,” she said. “I am grateful for the unexpected turns in the path of this journey called life. I see life’s imbalances as an invitation to continually transform and grow as an artist, woman, mentor and friend.”
“I am an observer of human nature and the natural world. As a child, I tried to make sense of the chaos. As an adult, I strive to do the same. Something deep within me is stirred when witnessing nature in its purest forms from light’s illuminating beauty to the rawness of human emotional expression. To me both are equally poignant and beautiful.”
Tess Mosko Scherer has a diverse career in the arts spanning more than 30 years. Most notable as owner and director of Scherer Gallery from 1983 to 2006 representing international contemporary artists and specializing in glass art. She was the Artistic Director of Shemer Art Center and Museum from 2015-2017. She is the Director of Facilitation and Curriculum for the World Academy for the Future of Women, serves on the advisory board and facilitates programs in China and Bangladesh. While in China she facilitated art programs for women and children in rural villages. The program, Give Voice to Women Through the Arts was funded by a US State Department Cultural Grant.
In addition to her studio practice, Mosko Scherer has a private practice coaching and mentoring artists. She developed workshops to help artists overcome their fear of the business of art. She is currently the Executive Director of the Arizona Art Alliance and is an active member of several art organizations including Arizona Artists Guild (past President), the Sonoran Arts League (DFL curator), and The Arizona Breakfast Club. She is an alumni of the Eye Lounge Collective Gallery in Phoenix. She facilitates art classes for Veterans, Survivors of Suicide, and for people experiecing grief, loss, isolation particularly due to the pandemic. These classes are open to healthcare workers as well.
Her work is exhibited nationally, is represented by Van Gogh’s Ear Gallery, Prescott, and has won several awards in juried shows in Arizona. Mosko Scherer was named one of the ‘100 Creatives You Need to Know’ by the Phoenix New Times in 2016. She is a grant recipient from the City of Phoenix, and the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.