Visiting Artist - Visual Arts

Susan Gallagher

SMG Icon Ceramics
540 E 105th St #122
Cleveland, OH  44108
Phone: (216) 851-5149
Email: smg_icon_ceramics@hotmail.com

I am a visual artist who uses the transformative nature of clay as my primary tool to engage the creative spirit during a residency. I am interested in and have worked with all age levels, either through community or school based residencies. My residencies are planned to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the materials and techniques and, where appropriate, create an atmosphere of learning that incorporates school curriculum and Fine Arts Academic Content Standards. At a recent residency in Southern Ohio (a minimum security correctional facility for 13 to 18 year old young men), we focused on communication, written and verbal, so students could access ideas about who they are as individuals and then use these insights to create visual symbols that were incorporated into a three dimensional clay self-portrait. In another residency, students used similar communication techniques to gather information about nature and the environment of their neighborhood. They then used the information to design and create a clay tile mural, which expressed the beauty and importance of the natural world and how to work together to preserve the environment. The residencies provide opportunities for students to combine intuitive and factual insights with technical information to create beautiful and informative works of art.


Inspiration for my personal work has always evolved from my interest in Nature and the environment. I create functional and sculptural clay works, which I transform through carving natural imagery (such as insects, leaves and flowers) on their surfaces. This creates, for me, a tactile and visual expression of beauty. My involvement in the teaching of and in the scientific research of butterflies and native plants, as part of an Environmental Education Collaborative of Northeast Ohio, keeps me connected to my source of inspiration.


I have been a ceramic artist and educator for more than 30 years and have created work for regional and local galleries. I received a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) from the Cleveland Institute of Art and maintain a working ceramic studio in Cleveland. I am currently Associate Director of Visual Arts Education at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio, where I coordinate ten visual arts instructors, maintain the Ceramics studio, teach and help generate new programs for Community Outreach and Education.