Jo Anne Perigo Fiscus

        Jo Anne Perigo Fiscus is a life long resident of Vigo County. She holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Art education from Indiana State University. She has taught middle school art for thirty-two years in the Vigo County School Corporation.

        Jo Anne's areas of interest are water colors, pastels, pen and ink and printmaking. She also has experience with the techniques of Trompe L'Oiel and has painted murals here in Indiana and in the state of Florida.

        She enjoys working with strong light and shadow, and all subject matter but particularly likes to work with wildlife and portraiture. Among her favorite subjects are her children.

        Jo Anne has shown in several regional shows and has received numerous awards for her work. Her art has appeared in the Swope Art Museum, Wabash Valley Exhibition, the Bicentennial Art Museum in Paris, Illinois; and is currently displayed at the Raven Gallery in Terre Haute.

        In the summer of 2007, she was awarded two of the 30 area colts to design and then construct. The Colts theme was chosen to Welcome the Indianapolis Colts to Terre Haute as well as benefiting the Swope Art Museum. Her creations, "A Colt Goes to Camp" and "Celtic Colt" were on display all summer and went to auction in September 2007.To view images and more information on Jo Anne's colts go to the Links page on this website.

        Very recently, Jo Anne finished a 15 by 30 foot mural in the Grainger-Kennedy Gymnasium, at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Many deep thoughts went into the creation of this mural, she states "I wanted every student of Wilson to look at it and fell like they could be that warrior, regardless of race or gender. I wanted them to see themselves as defenders of right and good for all people." Jo Anne also wanted to acknowledge the two people the gymnasium was named after, "I wanted Trannie (Grainger) and Mike (Kennedy)'s family to feel proud when they saw the warrior in a place dedicated to them."

        Jo Anne had this finally statement about her Proud Warrior,
"I'm a realist. I paint realistically. I love texture and light and the ability to show these things well is a form of magic. I remember Salty Seamon saying that in the middle of a painting there's always that time when you start doubting yourself as an artist. There wasn't a day that went by when I was working that I didn't wonder what was I doing. But I wiped it off a couple of times and I kept going back until I walked in the gym one day and I looked at it and I said, "Yes!!!" Because a warrior never quits until the quest is done and the mission is fullfilled. Sometimes it's not just a painting, it's a lesson in life."

        Jo Anne started this mural adventure on June 4th. She enjoyed the project for many months (200 hrs), and with the moral support of her husband Bruce, she was able to finish this December 5, 2007. The "Proud Warrior" Mural, which is pictured above, is lovingly added to the many amazing murals she has created.

        Her art can be viewed in her studio east of Terre Haute or she can be contacted by phone at (812) 877-1334 or by e-mail at

Copyright 2007