Susan Opitz

Artist Statement

Susan’s work can be described as a combination of lyrical, spontaneous, transcendental and abstract expressionism.  Susan is a self-taught artist primarily using a palette knife to create numerous layers and texture producing results with depth and strong character.  She uses a full range of color with diverse experimentation.  Susan adds, “Painting is an extension of my inner experience and my work grows as I do through life-experience.  I explore my current state or focus on a particular feeling and channel it onto the canvas.  My work requires a commitment of several hours at a time.  It is an immersion and another state of existence.  I tend to be a messy painter, my studio space is covered from top to bottom in plastic- it's like a paint bomb went off.”

Susan has shown her work from Los Angeles to New York, in Berlin and Brussels.  She teaches art in a variety of mediums at her Mpls studio and welcomes new students and commissions.

CV

Galleries 

Glacier Recording Studios presents - "The Willie August Project" - Mpls., MN 2009

The Loft at Barfly - "Live and Local" - Mpls., MN 2009

History Theater "Sample Night Live" - St. Paul, MN 2009

Relentless Gallery - Mpls., MN 2009

Alliance Bank Center - "This Woman's Work" - St. Paul, MN 2009

Tangletown Fine Art Gallery - Mpls., MN, 2009

Art Resources Gallery - Edina, MN 2008, 2009

Center for Independent Artists "Labor Room and Exhibition" - Mpls., MN 2008

Cornell University - "Resurgemus: 21st Century Dada Art Fair" -  Ithaca, NY 2008

Fox Tax Gallery - "These Elves Went to Art School: Mini Art by MN Talent" - Mpls, MN 2007

Berlitz Gallery Rockefeller Center - "Paintings by Susan Opitz" - New York, NY 2007

Bhakti Gallery - “Sacred Return of the Feminine” Hopkins, MN 2007

Micro-Los Angeles Urban Art & Culture Gallery - Los Angeles, CA 2007

Gallery Gabrichidze -“X-Culture” - Brussels, Belgium 2007 - 2009

Bluetenweiss; Raum fuer Kunst - “Anonymous Drawings 4” - Berlin, Germany 2007

Center for Independent Artists "Labor Room and Exhibition" - Mpls., MN, 2007

Lisan Gallery of Art and Design - “Images of Love” - St. Paul, MN 2007

California Building Gallery - “Installation” - Mpls., MN 2006, 2007

Lisan Gallery of Art and Design - St. Paul, MN 2006, 2007

Center for Independent Artists - "Labor Room and Exhibition" - Mpls., MN 2006

Center for Independent Artists / Mira Gallery "New Works" - Mpls., MN 2006

California Building Gallery - Mpls., MN 2006

ACT (Art Changes Tomorrow) - New York, NY 2006

ABRACAX Gallery - Mpls., MN 2006

Flux Factory "Works on Paper" - Long Island City, NY 2006

Outsiders and Others "Art Binge" - Mpls., MN 2006

Joan of Art Gallery "Sensory Overload" - Mpls., MN 2006

Gallery 402 "Portraits, Self-Portraits" - NYC, NY 2006

Sorrayah Studios - St. Paul, MN 2005, 2006

Calhoun Beach Framing and Art Gallery - Mpls., MN 2005, 2006

The Art Major - Mpls., MN 2005, 2006

Alfie's Art Garage "1st Annual Foot Long Art Exhibition" - Mpls., MN 2005

Gallery 402 "Abstraction" - NYC, NY 2005

Gallery 218 "Abstract Photography" - Milwaukee, WI 2004

Altered Esthetics "l'art de mort: The Art of Death" - Mpls., MN 2004

Minneapolis Institute of Arts "Art of Democracy: Tools of Persuasion" - Mpls., MN 2004

Artlines - Mpls., MN 2001

Collections:

Hamline University 

Boston Health Care Systems Inc. 

Fundraisers:

Mizna a Forum for Arab-American Art- "10 Year Anniversary Celebration" - Minneapolis, MN 2009

Art of This Gallery - "Support" for Free Arts MN - Minneapolis, MN 2008 

Treasured Chests  “Treasures Chests Gala” - Mpls., MN  2007

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights  “Art Against Aids” - Chicago, IL  2007

David B. Gordon Foundation - St. Paul, MN 2005

Heart Foundation MN - Minneapolis, MN 2005

Free Arts MN - Minneapolis, MN 2003

Shakespeare in the Park - Minneapolis, MN 2002

Friends School of Minnesota - St. Paul, MN 2002

Local Exhibitions:

Tease Salon - St. Paul, MN 2008-2009

2nd Saturdays at the California Building - Minneapolis, MN 2008-2010

Massage Geek - St. Paul, MN 2008, 2009

Bright Hands : Light Body LLC - St. Paul, MN 2008, 2009

Creative Content Media - St. Paul, MN 2008, 2009

Sabai Urban Oasis Body Temple - Minneapolis, MN 2007-2009

Tease Salon - St. Paul, MN 2008

Picosa - Mpls, MN 2007 

NEMAA Fall Fine Arts Show - Mpls., MN 2006, 2007 

MCAD "Minnesota Emerging Artists" - Mpls., MN 2007 

St. Paul Art Crawl - St. Paul, MN 2007, 2008, 2009

7^th Annual Spiritual Art Show - Mpls., MN 2007

First Thursdays - NE Mpls., MN 2006

Musee du Refuses - Mpls., MN 2006, 2007

Art A Whirl - Mpls., MN 2005, 2006 - 2008

Uptown Art Fair - Mpls., MN 2005, 2007

Vera's - Mpls., MN 2005

MT Advertising - Mpls., MN 2005

Nicollet Mall - Mpls., MN 2001

University of Minnesota - Mpls., MN 2000

Other Exhibitions: 

Home Expo - National Sports Center - Blaine, MN 2008 

New York Art Expo - New York, NY 2007

International Hotel/Motel/Restaurant Show - New York, NY 2006

Montmarte - Paris, France 2006

Internet:

Saatchi-gallery.co.uk, 2007- 2009

DeviantART.com, 2007- 2009

Artfaceoff.com, 2006 - 2009

Artscene.com, 2006 - 2009

ArtandDesignOnline.com, 2005 - 2009

BringArt.com, 2005 - 2008

Art-Exchange.com, 2005 - 2009

HometownArtGallery.com, 2005 - 2009

Art-mine.com, 2004, 2005

Publications:

Minnesota Women's Press, 2007

The New York Art World, 2004

Gallery Guide NY, 2004

Gallery & Studio NY, 2004