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November 13th, 2023

Susan Eley Interview in “CanvasRebel”

 

An interview with Susan Eley was recently featured on “CanvasRebel”. She discusses her vision and achievements in making SEFA what it is today!

Their original text is available online here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-susan-eisner-eley/ with a text credit to Camila Sanchez.

 

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We were lucky to catch up with Susan Eisner Eley recently and have shared our conversation below.

 

Susan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I have ever worked on is an installation called “Wordfall” by Francie Hester, created for the lobby of the Josie Robertson Surgery Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYC. “Wordfall” was created by Francie and her studio mate Lisa Hill to commemorate Brendan Ogg, who passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 20. In the face of his illness, Brendan wrote a collection of poetry entitled “Summer Becomes Absurd,” which reveals the energy of youth, the wisdom of one who has met and acknowledged mortality, and an embrace and celebration of life.

Wordfall weaves together six of Brendan’s poems as a tribute to his life and spirit. Friends, family, and others who did not know Brendan wrapped more than 80,000 paper clips with his words. A new community emerged among those who shared in the wrapping, in Brendan’s story, and in words as legacy. Each participant found something unique in the artwork, reflecting that pieces of those we lose stay with us in new and sometimes surprising ways. The wrapped paperclips transformed the written work into an enduring memorial — linkages of words, random at times, but with inherent messages.

 

 

Susan , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After graduating in 1985 with a BA in Art History from Brown University, I returned to NYC to pursue my first great love–ballet. I danced professionally with the Feld Ballet for a few years before enduring an injury that ended my dance career. Although sad, the end of one career was the catalyst to return to school for my second greatest love–fine art. Armed with an MA in Visual Arts Administration from NYU, I went to work at the Morgan Library in the Education and PR departments. Thus followed a few years of living abroad in the Persian Gulf for my husband’s work and tending to the first two of our three daughters. While abroad, I worked as an editor/writer for Gulf Air’s inflight magazine, called “Golden Falcon.” After returning to the US in 1997, I worked for a group of dance magazines and then freelanced as a writer/editor for the next ten years, while raising my family. In 2006 I opened Susan Eley Fine Art on the Upper West Side, with a mission to offer an alternative to the typical white box gallery. We show a varied range of contemporary art by artists from around the globe. What sets us apart is that we speak to every visitor who walks through our doors, offering the best experience possible. Clients benefit from our soup to nuts high end service that takes the collectors through the research stages to the purchase, through framing, shipping and installation. I am extremely proud of currently operating two gallery locations–Hudson, NY and the Lower East Side, NYC–with one brand. While challenging, it is extremely rewarding to cultivate a cross current between artists, visitors and collectors between the two locations.

 

 

Have you ever had to pivot?

The 2019 pandemic forced many of us small business owners to pivot to survive. Without a physical gallery, which we closed temporarily during the pandemic, I dove into the realm of virtual exhibitions and online artist talks and panel discussions. We also opened a pop up space in Hudson, NY, thinking it would be short lived. We will celebrate 3.5 years in this location in a month or so. We also beefed up our online presence on the online platforms of artsy and 1stdibs to attract a global audience. So many collectors were buying art from the comfort of their covid free homes, and we were able to benefit from this growth.

 

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

While I’ve already mentioned this story earlier in the interview, I believe that my transition from a career in performing arts to the realm of contemporary art is the professional event for which I am most proud. Leaving a dance career, cut short by injury, was extremely difficult, but finding a new fulfilling path through the arts has been incredibly rewarding for close to 20 years.

 

 

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Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Aiko Austin, Jena Goldman, Em Joseph and Greg Staley