Jessica Shaefer. Photo by Miguel Arzabe.
In these turbulent times, creativity and empathy are more necessary than ever to bridge divides and find solutions. Artnet News’s Art and Empathy Project is an ongoing investigation into how the art world can help enhance emotional intelligence, drawing insights and inspiration from creatives, thought leaders, and great works of art.
Facebook’s art curator Jessica Shaefer, the daughter of a New York-based artist, was once reluctant to become a part of what she had long viewed as a challenging and veiled industry. But after following her own pursuits for many years, she was pulled back to art in her mid-20s when she began working for Vito Schnabel, the Manhattan art dealer who was at the time just beginning his art career. For a long time, Shaefer worked as a curator, art dealer, and “almost every other art world job you could possibly have,” taking time to get to know the ins and outs of the the industry and thinking she would stay in Manhattan long-term. But in 2016, another unexpected leap propelled her art career forward: she left for Silicon Valley, excited for the chance to infiltrate the tech world with fine art at Facebook.