Susan Mohl Powers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Mohl Powers
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| Born |
Susan Elizabeth Mohl
1944 Saint Paul, Minnesota
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| Died | 2023 |
| Nationality | American |
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| Spouse(s) | Alan W. Powers |
| Children | Two daughters |
Susan Mohl Powers (1944 – 2023) was an American artist born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She was known for creating sculptures and paintings that mixed art with science. Susan worked with different materials like metal shapes (polygons and planes) and sewn fabric. She also owned Sailshade Studios in Fall River, Massachusetts, where she designed and made special window shades that save energy.
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About Susan Powers
Susan Mohl Powers grew up with a strong interest in science and math, which greatly influenced her art. As a child, she loved studying fossils. In college, she even helped run public events at the Mount Holyoke College observatory. She also worked as a science teacher.
Her early artistic ideas came from people like Buckminster Fuller, who designed geodesic domes, and D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, who wrote a famous book called On Growth and Form about how living things grow and take shape. Susan Powers passed away on October 24, 2023, in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Her Education and Art Training
Susan Powers graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1966. There, she studied art, physics, and astronomy. She later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Minnesota and another in visual design in Massachusetts.
She learned from several important teachers, including Henry Rox and Katherine Nash. Early in her career, she created sculptures by welding steel, working with Katherine Nash, who started the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota.
Sailshade Studios
In 1979, Susan Powers started designing and making special window shades from her home. These shades were called "Sailshades" because they were energy-efficient and looked nice. She and her husband officially trademarked the name and design in 1984.
Later, in 1991, she opened Sailshade Studios, Inc., in a historic textile mill complex in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her Sailshades were installed in homes and buildings across 32 states. She also created special art pieces using nets that helped with sound in rooms and reduced heat. Susan also taught workshops to help people make their own insulated shades to save on energy bills.
Working with Other Artists
Susan Powers often worked with other artists on big projects.
- She helped create a large, soft sculpture called "Lion's Tale" for famous artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. This piece was shown in Venice, Italy.
- In 2014, she worked directly with Paul Amaral to create a large, metal sculpture called "Dancing Galaxies," which was 9 feet tall.
- Susan also teamed up with architect Kathryn Duff on three public art projects. These were installed at places like Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, and Prima Care in Fall River, Massachusetts.
- She even drew pictures for her husband's book, Birdtalk: Conversations with Birds, to help readers identify the birds he wrote about.
Art Shows and Public Art
Susan Powers' artwork was shown in many places, both in solo exhibitions (where only her work was featured) and group exhibitions (where her work was shown with others). She also created art for public spaces.
Solo Art Shows
- 1979 — "Polygons and Planar Nets," Squibb Gallery, Princeton, New Jersey
- 1988 — "Under the Microscope of Spirit–A Tribute To The I.L.G.W.U.", Nemasket Gallery, Fairhaven, Massachusetts
- 2002 — "Solo Exhibition 2002", Galleria Eclettica, Milan, Italy
- 2004 — New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Group Art Shows
- 1971 — Kramer Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota
- 1975 — Image Gallery, Lenox, Massachusetts
- 1998 — Virginia Lynch Gallery, Tiverton, Rhode Island
- 2003 — "Sun Spots 2003" and "Juno's Corset 2003", Grimshaw Gudewicz Art Gallery, Fall River, Massachusetts
- 2005 — Annotazioni d’Arte, Milan, Italy
Art in Public Places
- 1991−1997 — Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1984 — Banners for Boston Ballet’s performance of Romeo and Juliet, Wang Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1994−2008 — Fall River Government Center, Fall River, Massachusetts
- 2003 — "Seahorses 2003", Prima Care Lobby, Fall River, Massachusetts
- 2004−present — "Fifteen Walls of Bas Reliefs", Butler Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
- 2009 — Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Images for kids
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Seahorses
(viewed from balcony)
by Susan Mohl Powers -
Seahorses
(viewed from below)
by Susan Mohl Powers -
Juno's Corset
by Susan Mohl Powers -
City Hall–red panel
by Susan Mohl Powers -
City Hall–blue panel
by Susan Mohl Powers -
To Take Wing (bronze)
by Susan Mohl Powers -
Fossil 473 (bronze)
by Susan Mohl Powers -
Susan Mohl Powers with Dancing Galaxies
