Alumnus Profile: Sarah (Johnson) Scheer

Sarah (Johnson) Scheer ’18 discovered Concordia Nebraska after earning an associate’s degree at a community college. She has a bachelor of fine art degree from the university. 

“My grandmother attended Concordia Nebraska. When I was thinking about next steps in my education, I remembered that and scheduled a visit,” she said. “I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the art department and the overall welcoming feeling of Concordia.” 

In addition to the quality of the art department and focused art education available at the university, Scheer said the other thing that stands out in her mind about Concordia Nebraska is its people. She describes the university community as intimate and small, which gives students the opportunity to have genuine, meaningful relationships with professors and other staff on campus. She said she enjoyed getting to know fellow students in her classes and creating meaningful friendships with others who were outside of her focused area of study. 

She credits her professors for supporting her and encouraging her. 
“I think a lot of this goes back to the intimacy of a small school,” she said. “My professors really saw us through several years of growth and with that found our strengths and weaknesses. I had professors that weren't afraid to give me constructive criticism and help me question myself and open up new ways of thinking, working and seeing the world.” 

Following graduation, Scheer was accepted as a fellow at the university’s Center for Liturgical Art in the summer of 2018. After her fellowship was completed, she was hired as a studio assistant and then studio technician from 2018 - 2020. She then started a business, Agora, where she creates functional ceramics in her garage studio. For a time, she sold her work online, in local shops and at local markets. In summer 2023, Agora merged with another local business creating a new brand, shop and creative space called Curio, which is located in Lincoln. 

“My time in Brommer Art Center definitely helped me gain the skills that I use in my current work, and it also gave me a more critical eye for the quality of work I'm striving for,” she said. “One of the greatest things that Concordia Nebraska gave was a general education, and specifically in the art department a general education of many mediums and understanding that art should start from a solid foundation of the basics to expand into our own work and style.”  

She said that her time at Concordia Nebraska also helped to develop her faith. 

“I appreciated having opportunities to dive deeper into God’s Word through Bible classes, chapel, evening prayer, compline, discussions in class and ride shares to Sunday church,” she said.   
Curio sells ethical and small clothing brands, apothecary, vintage, home goods, art books and ceramics and also hosts community events and workshops.  

“My focus at Curio is leading and organizing creative workshops, working the shop part of the time, and designing and creating all of our in-house goods including ceramics, candles and illustrated products,” she said. “I love that I have the ability to create daily, that I have the ability to create in multiple mediums, and that I'm able to encourage and promote creating to others in an approachable way building community and breaking limiting beliefs that making is only for a set group of people. We were all born with the ability to create.”
Her husband, Michael Scheer, is interim director of the Concordia Nebraska Center for Liturgical Art. The couple met while working there. Michael is also an adjunct instructor for the Concordia art department.  

“I count myself really lucky,” she said. “Through the university, not only did I have an impactful college experience and now also enjoy a successful post-college career, Concordia Nebraska is also the place I met my husband, who I love and align so deeply with.” 
Scheer describes herself as a multi-passionate person, and pointed out that the university really supported her varied interests and passions with its thorough yet diverse class offerings.  

“I was able to express this through my advanced art classes and final thesis show,” she explained. “My interests outside of my work often find their way into my work, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, collage, jewelry making, sculpture and candle making.” 

When she’s not creating art, Scheer loves reading, sewing, arranging flowers from her cut garden, traveling, spending time with her husband and walking their dog Vesper.  

Concordia’s Department of Art is a community of visual artists and designers committed to an innovative program, a rigorous work ethic and an attitude of artistic integrity. Together they form the premier Christian visual arts learning community in the Midwest.