Tamara B. Thomas, 63; Melded Art and Business

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. She was 63.

Thomas died in her sleep while on a business trip to San Francisco. The cause of death has not been determined.

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.”

Thomas is survived by her husband, attorney Hardy L. Thomas; daughter Tara; and son Kirk, all of Los Angeles.