Mrs. Susan Gilmour Rodgers

Susan Gilmour Rodgers, 87, died peacefully at her home in Lenox on November 7th under the watchful care of Hospice. She embodied her artistic vision of a refined and elegant simplicity. She was quiet but sure of herself and had distinct opinions she was happy to share. She was warm with a big laugh. Susan was a great reader and breezed through the Sunday NYT Sunday crossword puzzle. With the help of her friend and studio assistant Rebecca "Becky" Fuore, Susan continued to make sculpture until months before she died. Born in Brooklyn, NY, October 15, 1935, Susan's parents were Richard Hellerman Rodgers and Susan Swarthe Rodgers. She was raised in Pompano Beach Florida. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and moved to the city after graduation. Susan received her MFA in the arts at Columbia University and went on to teach at The Brearley School in NYC. In The Berkshires, Susan taught art and "shop" classes at Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield and Simon's Rock in Great Barrington. She then divided her time between Lenox and Key West with her partner (later spouse) Mary "Polly” Porter, who passed away in 2018. An acclaimed sculptor, her use - early on - of untraditional, distinctly ordinary materials was her trademark. She was a fearless visionary. Her legacy as an artist is unquestionable and inspiring. Her work will survive temporary fads and trends. Locally, Susan’s work was championed by her friend and Lenox Gallery owner Ute Stebich who went on to partner with Jane Kasten and Akkie Martens. She is survived by her brother, Michael Rodgers in California; nephews and nieces Benjamin and Michael Rodgers, Anne Conolly, Marjorie Anderson, Mary Wright, Gilbert Hickox and Charles Hickox; and a close group of dear friends in The Berkshires, Key West and New York. Susan’s work is in numerous museums and galleries, as well as public and private collections. Her website showcases a vast range of her sculpture at susanrodgers.com. In a 1987 review in The New York Times, Michael Brenson wrote: “Susan Rodgers has established herself as one of the best steel sculptors around. She works with scraps that she finds mainly in junkyards. She lengthens or shortens, twists or bends the steel, but leaves it fundamentally unaltered. So, scraps are welded together, others left unjoined: this fluent, confident, seemingly harmonious vision is filled with absence.” Her work will serve to remind us of her distinct presence. She will be missed. Memorial donations may be made to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, 309 Pittsfield Rd. Lenox, MA. 01240.

Mrs. Susan Gilmour Rodgers

October 15, 1935 - November 7, 2022