Her Story
About Susan
Susan Rowley has been a sculptor for approximately 40 years. She pursued dual goals of being a professional artist and educator, teaching at three different colleges while maintaining an active exhibition career on national and international levels. She earned tenure at her final teaching position, where she worked for about 19 years. Her degrees include an art education degree, an MST master's for permanent certification as an educator, and an MFA in Fine Arts. Rowley's sculpture is large-scale and created in response to architecture. She attributes her success to relentless drive, self-promotion, research, and the ability to handle rejection without quitting. A highlight of her career was being selected as one of only seven American artists for the Time, Space, Existence show at the Venice Biennial of Architecture in 2018, discovered through her membership in the International Sculpture Center. She has faced challenges in the field, particularly as a female sculptor early in her career, and advises others to be their own toughest critic, make their own path, and stay driven.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Susan
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success is due to always shooting for the highest accolades, my relentless drive that never stops, putting myself and my work out there, self-promotion, research, being honest, and taking rejection positively without quitting. I never stopped or slowed down.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice was that it is extremely difficult to rise in the arts for many reasons, including rejection. I had no mentors. Being female made it harder early on, with biases in organizations and media. I learned to be my own toughest critic, take rejection, and keep pushing without quitting.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you believe in what you're doing and are truly driven, you will get where you want to go. Be your own toughest critic, take rejection, do the research and self-promotion while staying honest. Make your own path, learn who you are, don't follow others. Art is tough and not for the faint of heart.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include getting work seen by curators and museum professionals, finding large enough spaces for large-scale work, fewer galleries post-pandemic that closed and didn't return, deciding between commercial/saleable work or highly conceptual work.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being true to yourself, understanding who you are, your goals, insecurities, and strengths to guide yourself. Everyone's career is unique; learn who you are and make your own path rather than following others. Get inspired but create your own way.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.