Artist's Statement
To create is to be an active participant in life.
My art is a collaboration of photography, digital painting and manipulation, and contemporary art quilting techniques. The resulting images become the fabric for an art quilt or surface design patterns for other items.
My educational journey has taken me from Computer Science to Business Administration to Architectural Interiors and Fine Arts, which contributes to my unique personal perspective and contributes to my fascination with utilizing technology to create my artwork.
Inspiration comes from everyday objects, animals, and nature, which I reinterpret in new ways by manipulating light and color. It is my intention for the viewer to experience something familiar but in a surprisingly new manner.
Bio
Suzan holds degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration, as well as a Master’s degree in Fine Arts. She left a career as a Senior Designer at PDR, an architecture firm in Houston, Texas to create her artwork full-time. Suzan has taught art at the University of Houston and exhibited her work in numerous galleries and juried shows in the United States, Europe and Australia. Her artwork is included in private collections in the United States, New Zealand, and Great Britain. Suzan is available for commission work and may be reached at suzan@suzanengler.com.
Résumé
Juried Exhibitions
2019
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Eye of The Storm", Houston, TX. Jurors: TBA.
• International Quilt Festival, A Better World: Heroes working for the better good with “Grandmother Wore White Shoes”, International Quilt Festival, Houston TX. Jurors: Susan Brubaker Knapp and Lyric Kinard.
• Schweinfurt Art Center, Quilts=Art=Quilts with "Icons in Blue”, Albany, NY, Jurors: Petra Fallaux and Claire Benn.
2018
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “The Architecture of Trees, Houston, TX. Jurors: Vickie Anderson, Jonathan Gregory, and Carrie Nelson.
• The Best of Dinner at Eight Artists: Celebrating 10 Years of Exhibitions, “Triangular Sunrise”, International Quilt Festival, Houston TX. Jurors: Leslie Jennison Tucker and Jamie Fingal.
• Excellence in Fiber IV, “Raised on Bluebonnets”, Juried Exhibition in Print. Jurors:
Beth McLaughlin, Perry Prince, and Carol Sauvion.
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Old Timer”, Chicago, IL. Jurors:
2017
• Texas Quilt Museum, Made in Texas, "Raised On Bluebonnets", La Grange TX. Jurors: Karey Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Fuentes.
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Old Timer”, Houston, TX. Jurors:
• Dinner @ 8 Affinity with “Icons in Blue”, International Quilt Festival, Houston TX. Jurors: Leslie Jennison Tucker and Jamie Fingal.
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “GMO?”, Chicago, IL.
• Festival of Quilts, SAQA Tranquility “Winter Silence”, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Juror: Kate Lydon.
2016
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “GMO?”, Houston, TX. Jurors: Leslie Jennison Tucker, Brenda Groelz, and Carolyn Ducey.
• Dinner @ 8 Affinity with “Fractal Pattern - Fast Cars, Rainy Night”, International Quilt Festival Houston TX. Jurors: Leslie Jennison Tucker and Jamie Fingal.
• SAQA Tranquility “Winter Silence”, International Quilt Festival, Houston TX. Juror: Kate Lydon.
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Hay Rake Retired”, Chicago, IL.
• Schweinfurt Art Center, Quilts=Art=Quilts with "Raised on Bluebonnets”, Albany, NY, Jurors: Mary Anne Jordan. Katie Pasquini Masopust.
2015
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Hay Rake Retired”, Houston, TX. Jurors: Patt Blair, David Taylor, and Pat Yamin.
• Dinner @ 8 Affinity with “Raised on Bluebonnets”, International Quilt Festival, Houston TX and Chicago Il. Jurors: Leslie Jennison Tucker and Jamie Fingal.
• Jewish Cultural Center, BARK, with “Canopy”, Chattanooga, TN.
2014
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Identity Crisis”, Houston, TX. Jurors: Marti Michell, Paula Nadelstern, and Linda Pumphrey.
• Texas Quilt Museum, Butterflies and Their Beautiful Kin with “Uncommon Buckeye”, La Grange, TX. Juror: Dr. Sandra Sider.
• Quilt! Knit! Stitch! with “Ball Jar Rainbow” and “View from the Farm House”, Portland, OR.
2013
• International Quilt Festival, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs with” Somebody Say Treat?”, Houston, TX
• International Quilt Festival, Quilts: A World of Beauty with “Ball Jar Rainbow” and “View from the Farm House”, Houston, TX. Jurors: Carolie Hansley, Sandra Leichner, and Katie Pasquini Masopust
• Houston Area Fiber Artist’s Gallery Show, M Squared Gallery with “Angel’s Trumpet”, Houston, TX. Juror: Victoria Lightman.
• Copper Shade Tree Gallery, The Art in Fiber 2013 – A View From My Window with “Ball Jar Rainbow” and “View From the Farm House”, Round Top, TX. Juror: Karey Bresenhan.
2012
• International Quilt Festival, In Full Bloom Traveling Exhibit with “Dichotomy Rose”, Houston, TX, Cincinnati OH, Chicago IL and Long Beach CA
• Houston Area Fiber Artists Gallery Show,18 Hands Gallery with “Wooden Bowl”, Houston, TX. Juror: Sally Sprout.
• Uptown Blanco Quilt Show, Blanco Arts Center with “Angel Trumpet” and group quilt “Artist’s Garden”, Blanco, TX
2011
• Houston International Quilt Festival Quilts: A World of Beauty with group quilt “Artist’s Garden”, Houston, TX
• Copper Shade Tree, The Art in Fiber 2011 - Interpretation with “Hiding Amongst the Clarinet Reeds”, Round Top, TX. Juror: Ginny Eckley.
2010
• Simply Irresistible, Some Things Looming with “Registration Marks”, Reading, PA
1997
• Blaffer Gallery University of Houston with “Master’s Thesis: Redesign of a 1950’s home for ADA Accessibility”, Houston, TX
Publications
2019
• Magic and Memories: 45 Years of International Quilt Festival, “Somebody Say Treat?”, Wong, Teresa Duryea, Schiffer Publishing, June 2019.
• A Better World: Heroes Working for the Greater Good, Grandmother Wore White Shoes, Brubaker-Knapp, Susan and Kinard, Lyric, LyricArt Publishing, September 30, 2019.
2018
• Excellence in Fiber, “Raised on Bluebonnets”, Young, Marcia, Fiber Art Now, Winter 2018/2019, Issue 2 Volume 8, 2018.
• The Best of Dinner at Eight Artists: Celebrating 10 Years of Exhibitions, Fingal, Jamie and Jenison, Leslie Tucker, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 2018.
• Quilt show’s top winners are a gallery of artwork, Cowen, Diane, “The Architecture of Trees”, The Houston Chronicle, 10 November, 2018.
• Texas threads run through exhibit, “Raised on Bluebonnets”, Cowen, Diane, The Houston Chronicle, 4 November, 2018.
• Cover Art and The Best of Dinner @ Eight, “Triangular Sunrise”, DeNegre, Vivika Hansen, Quilting Arts, December 2018/January 2019, Issue 96, Interweave, 2018.
• VoyageHouston Magazine,
2017
• Personal Iconography: Graffiti on Cloth, Fingal, Jamie and Jenison, Leslie Tucker, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, September 2017.
• Dinner @ 8, Personal Iconography Graffiti on Cloth, “Icons in Blue”, DeNegre, Vivika Hansen, Quilting Arts Magazine, December 2017/January 2018, Issue 90, Interweave, 2017.
2016
• Patterns 2016, Fingal, Jamie and Jenison, Leslie Tucker, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, September 2016.
2015
• Affinity, Dinner at Eight Artists 2015, Fingal, Jamie and Jenison, Leslie Tucker, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 2015
• What you will see at the International Quilt Festival/Houston, Ward, Alyson, “Raised on Bluebonnets”, The Houston Chronicle, 27 October, 2015.
• Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English, “The 100 Leaf”, Volume 93, No. 2 November 2015.
• Gallery: Affinity, A selection of quilts from the Dinner at Eight Artists, “Raised on Bluebonnets, DeNegre, Vivika Hansen, Quilting Arts Magazine 15th Anniversary Issue, December 2015/January 2016, Issue 78, Interweave, 2016.
2014
• Pet Portraits Popular with Owners Who Quilt, Warner, Sherida, The Grand Junction Sentinel, 18 January, 2014. Print.
2013
• International Quilt Association Presents “Quilts: A World of Beauty” with “Ball Jar Rainbow”, DeNegre, Vivika Hansen, International Quilt Festival, Quilt Scene 2013/2014, Interweave, 2013.
• Special Exhibits: Festival Awareness Project 2013: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs with “Somebody Say Treat?”, DeNegre, Vivika Hansen, International Quilt Festival, Quilt Scene 2013/2014, Interweave, 2013.
• Soft and Sustainable Studio Work: Recycling Media, Representing Ecology, and Re-envisioning Craft With the International Fiber Collaborative, Weida, Courtney Lee and Marsh, Jennifer, Journal of Art for Life, Volume 5 Issue 1, 2013.
2012
• The Art of Fiber 2012, “Calf at Dawn”, Tobola, Gerald, The Copper Shade Tree, 2012.
2011
• The Art of Fiber 2011 - Interpretation, “Hiding Amongst the Clarinet Reeds”, Tobola, Gerald, The Copper Shade Tree, 2011.
• The Canvas Project: a visual encyclopedia, Art House Co-op, 2011
2010
• Reading Exhibit to Feature Fiber Art, Music, Ritter, Rebekah, BCTV.org, 2010
Awards
2018
• Judges Choice for “The Architecture of Trees:, International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX
2017
• Honorable Mention Digital Arts for "Old Timer”, International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX
2016
• First Place for “GMO?”, International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX
2014
• Honorable Mention Digital Arts for “Identity Crisis”, International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX
2013
• 3rd Place Digital Arts for “View from the Farm House”, International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX
• Cherrywood Choice for “Fractured Stripes”, MD Anderson Cancer Quilts, Houston, TX
• Honorable Mention for “Angels Trumpet”, Houston Area Fiber Artist’s Gallery Show, Houston, TX
2012
• 1st Place and Most Creative for group quilt “Artist’s Garden”, Capital of Texas Quiltfest, Austin, TX
• Honorable Mention for “Wooden Bowl”, Houston Area Fiber Artists Gallery Show, Houston, TX
• 1st Place Art Quilt for group quilt “Artist’s Garden”, Uptown Blanco Annual Quilt Show, Blanco, TX
2011
• Judges Choice for “Magic Carpet of Hope”, MD Anderson Cancer Quilts, Houston, TX
Invitational Exhibitions
2018
• Copper Shade Tree Gallery, The Art in Fiber – Changing Gears with 23 various works, Round Top TX
2016
• The Hubbard Museum of the American West, SAQA Natural Healing with “Chicken Soup” and “Cowbells”, Albuquerque, NM
2015
• Copper Shade Tree Gallery, The Art in Fiber 2015 with “Hereford Calf”, “Tomato Jar” and “Portrait of a Great Blue”, Round Top, TX
• First Unitarian Church, SAQA Natural Healing with “Chicken Soup”, Albuquerque, NM
• Silver City Fiber Arts Fiesta, SAQA Seeds with “Cowbells”, Silver City, NM
2014
• National Art Education Association 2014 Convention with “ART PERIOD”, San Diego, CA
• International Quilt Festival, MD Anderson Cancer Quilts with “Leaf”, Houston, TX
• Women’s Rights National Historic Park with “All Equal”, Seneca Falls, NY
2013
• International Quilt Festival, MD Anderson Cancer Quilts with “Fractured Stripes”, Houston, TX
• MDAnderson Cancer Center, Cancer Quilt Project with “Cherrywood Leaf”, Houston, TX
2012
• Copper Shade Tree Gallery, The Art in Fiber 2012 with “Calf at Dawn”, “Wooden Bowl” and “Blue Balls and Lemons”, Round Top, TX
• Munday Branch Library, Syracuse, NY
2011
• Betz Gallery, Twelve x Twelve with “Rouge Anjou”, Houston, TX
• Papershell Gallery, Various works, Richmond, TX
• MDAnderson Cancer Center, Cancer Quilt Project with “Magic Carpet of Hope”, Houston, TX
2010
• Betz Gallery, Twelve x Twelve, Houston, TX
• Great Explorations Children's Museum, St. Petersburg, FL
2009
• International Fiber Initiative, Dream Rocket, Huntsville, AL
• Earlyworks Children’s Museum, Huntsville, AL
Group Exhibitions
2015
• Jewish Cultural Center, BARK with “Canopy”, Chattanooga, TN
2014
• International Quilt Festival, Group with “Canopy”, Houston, TX
• Quiltfest Destination Savannah, Texas SAQA Group Show with “Fixin’ Fence”, Savannah, GA
2013
• Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta, the 9th Biennial Juried Show with group quilt “Artist’s Garden”, Albuquerque, NM
2012
• Capital of Texas Quiltfest, Palmer Event Center with group quilt “Artist’s Garden”, Austin, TX.
2010
• International Quilt Festival, SAQA Texas Exhibit with “Seeds from the Rare Seed Bead Tree”, Houston, TX
Consulting and Presentations
• Fundamentals of Design, University of Houston, School of Art
• Intermediate Design, University of Houston, School of Art
• Design Elements and Principles
• Color Theory for Quilt Artists
• Printing on Fabric, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
• Private Critique and Consultation
Professional Affiliations
• SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) Served as: Exhibition Committee Chair, Vice Chair & Secretary, and Texas Co-Representative.
• IQA (International Quilt Association)
• HAFA (Houston Area Fiber Artists) Gallery Show Committee
• TDLR (Texas Board of Architectural Examiners) Texas Registered Designer #9804
Education
• 1997 MFA, Studio Arts, University of Houston, Houston, TX
• 1985 BS in Business Administration, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Professional Experience
2010 - present Artist and Teacher, Panorama Village, TX
1996 - 2011 Senior Designer, PDR Architects, Houston, TX
1995 - 1997 Art & Design Teacher, University of Houston, Houston, TX
1985 - 1993 Senior Computer Systems Analyst, Amoco Production Co., Houston, TX