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Biography

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Susan was born a year before the assassination of JFK, in Columbia, Missouri, the youngest of three daughters. She lived in Taiwan at three, and in Germany at ten. Her father was a professor who took his family on sabbaticals with him. In Germany, he enrolled his two younger daughters in the German school system despite the fact that Susan spoke not a single word of German. Over spring break, the family toured Europe, via campgrounds and art museums. While in Florence, Italy, Susan’s father suggested to his daughter that she return to this city to study art, in college. At sabbatical’s end, they drove their VW camper back onto the ocean liner to return to Missouri. Sadly, they were involved in a car accident near Niagara Falls, which left Susan’s mother in the hospital for three months. But on a better note, the settlement from this incident paid for Susan’s junior year abroad, studying art in Florence, Italy. Art was put on hold right after graduation, as Susan moved to Minnesota, married, and had two children. Susan worked as a coordinator in four hospitals and fifteen different intensive care units. From there, she attended air traffic control school and became an air traffic controller at the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center. She returned to art as a continuing education instructor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, St. Paul College and Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Susan received a fellowship as artist in residence, at the Banfill-Locke Art Center 2003 -2005, and has shown her work there and at other venues throughout the twin cities. Susan has taught at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design since 2004. Susan lives, works, and teaches in Minneapolis.