About
"Dream • Play • Create” Is the brand Susan has chosen to define her creative process as an artist. Approaching every day with an open mind and an open heart, Susan gains inspiration from her sleeping and waking dreams and embraces their capacity to connect the physical and metaphysical realms.
“My paintings emerge from the quiet dialogue between breath and brush — traces of wind, water, and time made visible. They are not depictions of nature, but meditations on its pulse — on the unseen movements that shape the seen.
Each mark carries a fragment of stillness, a moment suspended between intention and surrender. Through fluid gestures and shifting transparencies, I seek a balance between control and release, presence and disappearance.
The work invites a slowing of the gaze — a space where wonder and calm can take root. I hope that within these fields of form and emptiness, viewers feel a soft invitation: to wander, to listen, to find themselves carried by the current of their own quiet journey”.
Susan received formal training in painting and drawing at Gustavus Adolphus College and Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in Rome, Italy. She presently lives in Buffalo, MN where she enjoys being an active flautist with a special interest in ancient Celtic melodies as well as being an artist and educator.
Selected Invitational, Juried and Solo Exhibitions
2025• Juried Show: Visual Aids, “Postcards from the Edge” New York, NY
2025• Juried Show: “Surface” d’Arte Center. Norfolk, VA
2025• Group Show: Dorland Arts Colony. Temecula, CA
2025• Juried Show: “Seeing God” Benedictine Center. St Paul, MN
2025• Solo Show: “Passages and Portals” Ambiente Gallerie, Mpls, MN
2025• Solo Show (traveling): “Into the Unknown” Dassel, MN Oronoco, MN and Buffalo MN
2024• Group Show: “Growing Community” Gallery 3, NKB Mpls, MN
2024• Group Show: “Growing Community” Gallery 3, NKB Mpls, MN
2024• Group Show: “Water 70.60.3” Gallery 3, NKB Mpls, MN
2023-24• Group Show Show: “SmartArt Exhibit” Art Angels, Mpls Convention Center, MN
2024• Group Show: “Growing Community” Gallery 3, NKB Mpls, MN
2023• Book Illustrations for Marienne Kreitlow’s Book: “Everything Needs Tending” Smith Printing Co LLC
2023• Juried Show: “Ruby Red” Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
2023• Group Show: MN Artists Association, Hopkins, MN
2023• Group Show: GOZA Gallery, NKB, Mpls, MN
2022• Excelsior Art Festival, MN
2022-23• Featured Artist: Wright County Historical Society, Buffalo, MN
2022• Group Show: Tower Lofts Gallery. Mpls, MN
2021• Solo Show: Riverside Gallery. The Phipps Center. Hudson, WI
2021• Group Show: Division One Gallery. Buffalo, MN
2021• Featured Artist: Artactile Gallery, NKB, Mpls MN
2020-22• MN Artist Association Member Shows, MN
2022• Art Festivals: Excelsior, MN and Grand Marais, MN
2019-22• Squash Blossom Art Festival, Oronoco, MN
2020• Juried Show: Artist RX, MN Landscape Arboretum. Chaska, MN
2019• National Juried Exhibit: Sumi e Artists of America. Bloomington, MN
2018• Powderhorn Park Arts Festival. Mpls, MN
2018• Loring Park Park Arts Festival. Mpls, MN
2017• Women's Art Institute Alumni Show: St Paul, MN
2017• Solo Show: Prairie Run, Albertville, MN
2017-18• Art Festival: Grand Marais, MN
2017• Art Festival: Wayzata, MN
2017• Art Festival: Stockholm, WI
2010-19• Buffalo Arts Guild Rotating Shows. Buffalo, MN
2013-21• Fall Fine Arts Festival, Mpls, MN
2009-21• "Art-a-Whirl" NE Mpls, MN
2016-18• Invitational Exhibit: Sumi e Artists of Ming Chiao. St Paul, MN
2016• Live painting at "Awakenings" concert. Buffalo, MN
2016• St Paul Art Crawl Festival. St Paul, MN
2016• St Cloud Art Crawl Festival. St Cloud, MN
2016• Art in the Park Festival. Lanesboro, MN
2016• 48 Hour Film Festival. Mpls, MN
2015• Juried Exhibit: "Essential Art" St. Cloud, MN
2015• Solo Exhibit: Regla de Oro Gallery. Minneapolis, MN
2015• Juried Exhibit: Essential Art. St. Cloud, MN
2014• Solo Exhibit: Gala del Gato. Buffalo, MN
2014• Solo Exhibit: Thrivent Financial. Buffalo, MN
2013• Group Show: Allina Hospital. Buffalo, MN
2013• Invitational Group Sculpture Installation. Buffalo, MN
2012• Performance: “Spirit and Creativity,” Artist and Musician- Buffalo Methodist Church. Buffalo, MN
2012• 24 Hour Film Festival Team Member; Zero Cool- Set Designer
2012• Independent Film Project: “Menages,” -Site Coordinator. Produced by Edith Tonou
2012• Invitational Exhibit: Art Institutes International. Mpls, MN
2011• Corporate Art Force: Gustavus Adolphus College Alumni Art Project. Mpls, MN
2011• Juried Exhibit. Arts in Harmony. Elk River, MN
2010• Solo Exhibit. Penny George Institute for Health and Healing. Mpls, MN
2010• Solo Exhibit. The Independent. Mpls, MN
2010• Group Exhibit. Women and Water Mail Art Exhibition. University of MN, Mpls, MN
2010• Group Exhibit. MIA Foot in the Door. Mpls, MN
2009• Juried Exhibit. Arts in Harmony. Elk River, MN
2008• Juried Exhibit. Flora and Fauna. St. Cloud, MN
2008• Invitational Exhibit. Venus Rediscovered. Water and Oil Gallery. St. Paul, MN
Grants and Awards
2025• Minnesota State Arts Board ‘Creative Individuals Grant’
2023• People’s choice Award. MN Artist’s Association Winter Show,. Hopkins, MN
2022• Individual Artist Award Grant. Central MN Arts Board, funded by the McKnight Foundation.
2021• Covid Relief Project Grant. Central MN Arts Board.
2020• Art for Hope Grant. Forecast Public Art.
2019• Award of recognition. National Juried Exhibit: Sumi e Artists of America. Bloomington, MN
2016• Award of Excellence: Art in the Park Festival. Lanesboro, MN
2015• Award: Career Development Grant. Central MN Arts Board/McKnight Foundation
2011• Individual Artist Award. Central MN Arts Board; funded by The McKnight Foundation
1990-present • Written, received and facilitated over 25 grant requests for public school art enrichment projects in Elk River, Buffalo and Rockford, MN.
2004• Individual Artist Award. Central MN Arts Board; funded by The McKnight Foundation.
Galleries
• Studio 439, Northrup King Building, Mpls, MN
• T Clifton Gallery, Memphis Tennessee
• Buffalo Arts Guild Rotating Gallery. Buffalo, MN.
• Fine Art America online gallery: susan-davies.fineartamerica.com.
Professional Experience/Collaborations/Academic Assignments
2023-25• Resident Artist, Dorland Mountain Arts, Temecula, CA
2018 • Resident Artist. Holden Village, Chelan, WA
1999-2019 • Art teacher. Elk River Schools, MN ISD 728
2013-14 • Facilitator: “Open Draw” with “Open Streets, Buffalo.” Buffalo, MN
2013 • Guest lecturer: “Shut Up and Paint!” Buffalo Arts Guild. Buffalo, MN
2007-16 • Art Instructor: Suzuki Institutes. “”See the Music; Visualizing Melody and Sound Through Drawing and Painting,” MacPhail School of Music in Mpls, SEMSA in Rochester, MN and Lake Sylvia Flute Institute, Annandale, MN
2006 • Artist/collaborator: “The Labor Room.” Three days of individual and group art-making with local artists and members of the community. Sponsored by the Center for Independent Artists. Mpls, MN
Education
2022 Certificate. Central MN Arts Board Teaching Artist Program
2014 - 22 Sumi e workshops with Master Sumi e artist, Yuming Zhu
2004 Women’s Art Institute, The Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Mpls, MN.
1995 MA Degree. Curriculum design with emphasis in creativity. St. Mary’s University, MN.
1982 BA Degree. Art and education. Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN.
1981 Painting and art history courses. Temple University in Rome, Italy.
Memberships
Midwest Arts Collective Cohort Group: www.macrstudios.wordpress.com
Minnesota Artists Association
North East Minneapolis Artist Association Minnesota Ming Chiao Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America
Upper Midwest Flute Association
Education Minnesota and National Education Association
Publications
Brush With Life Podcast Interview 2025
Wright County Journal Press, 2022, 2013
Staff Happenings ISD 728, Aug. 23, 2013 Elk River Star News, Sept 22, 2004
Delano Herald Journal, May 23, 2011 Pulse Magazine, April 16, 2004
Elk River Star News, April 2010 MPR “Word of Mouth”, Feb., 2002
Women’s Press Dec. 2010 Elk River Eddy, Nov-Dec 2002
St Cloud Times, June 19th 2004 MN Craft Connection, 2nd Qtr, 2000