Profile

Susan Rodriguez is an adjunct full professor and the graduate art education admissions coordinator for the Department of Art + Design Education. She teaches pre-service graduate-level art education and teacher programs. She conducts collaborations between the University of the Arts and regional museums, principally the Philadelphia Museum of Art, that are inclusive of her teaching role in the Professional Institute for Educators.  Susan is a strong advocate for multicultural diversity. She is a specialist in inclusionary education, children's art education and museum resources. She is a consultant and public speaker who endorses teacher empowerment and renewal through arts education. Rodriguez is a published author, educator and an exhibiting artist.

Artist Statement: 
Susan Rodriguez believes in "practice what you teach". As a figurative artist, she is always searching for new, expressive means to represent the male and female form. Her work reflects an interest in human interaction, combined with diverse mythologies. She often turns to world art sources for inspiration.   Rodriguez's artwork is vibrant, narrative, sometimes mischievous and poetic.  She employs a variety of mixed media as a painter, and often uses textiles, rubbings and intense colors. Her line & pattern presentation may evoke Matisse, yet her themes range culturally, infused with Asian, Eastern and Caribbean aesthetics.

Awards:   A recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, Susan was named the 1996 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, an Official National Award. She was awarded the Disney American Teacher Award in Visual Arts for 1993-1994. She received the nationally acclaimed, prestigious Milken Family Foundation Outstanding Educator Award.The Moore College of Art awarded Susan with an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts (DFA). She holds a BFA and a Masters of Education from the Tyler School of Art, Temple University. For more information on Susan,please visit her website: http://www.susanrodriguezstudio.com/
   
Selected Exhibitions & Publications:  Susan is currently represented by Artista Gallery, where her show, "Story Scroll Series" appears(11/10). Select exhibits include Indigo Art Gallery, "Stealing Water from the Moon"; the Wayne Art Center, "Muses, Models, and Memories"; the Philadelphia Museum of Art, "Women in Art"; and Villanova University, "Ten Philadelphia Artists" Her series,"Buddha Sightings," were on juried exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Alliance. Most recently, her exhibition at Artista Gallery opened in conjunction with the release of her newest book, Travels with Monet. Other  authored books in print include Art Smart!, Culture Smart! and The Special Artists Handbook.

Website: Susan's Website