At the age of 20 she moved with her mother to Chicago and developed a career as a modern art exhibition organizer.
In 1870, she lived with four of her five siblings in her mother's house.

Hallowell traveled to European art centers to arrange for works of art for the Inter-State Industrial Expositions in Chicago and worked with William Merritt Chase, James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, and other Barbizon and European schooled artists.
In 1878 she organized the Inter-State Industrial Exposition of Chicago.
She popularized Impressionist art in the city with exhibition of the works of Degas, Monet,  Pissarrol Alfred Sisley, and Pierre Auguste Renoir in the 1890 Inter-State show.

She was an agent for art collectors in Chicago, including Bertha Palmer.
Hallowell helped to found the Palette Club, which was first called the Bohemian Art Club.
She was also a member of the Antiquarian Society.
Hallowell helped to promote the development of the Art Institute of Chicago.
She had increasing responsibility in management of exhibitions.
Carolyn Kinder Carr, author of Sara T. Hallowell: Forsaking Plain for Fancy, stated that she was the first woman in exhibition management.
She was said to have been among a group of women who were students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
At the age of 20 she moved with her mother to Chicago and developed a career as a modern art exhibition organizer. In 1870, she lived with four of her five siblings in her mother's house.
Hallowell traveled to European art centers to arrange for works of art for the Inter-State Industrial Expositions in Chicago and worked with William Merritt Chase, James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, and other Barbizon and European schooled artists. In 1878 she organized the Inter-State Industrial Exposition of Chicago. She popularized Impressionist art in the city with exhibition of the works of Degas, Monet,  Pissarrol Alfred Sisley, and Pierre Auguste Renoir in the 1890 Inter-State show.
She was an agent for art collectors in Chicago, including Bertha Palmer. Hallowell helped to found the Palette Club, which was first called the Bohemian Art Club. She was also a member of the Antiquarian Society. Hallowell helped to promote the development of the Art Institute of Chicago. She had increasing responsibility in management of exhibitions. Carolyn Kinder Carr, author of Sara T. Hallowell: Forsaking Plain for Fancy, stated that she was the first woman in exhibition management. She was said to have been among a group of women who were students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Sarah Tyson Hallowell