In Memoriam

Laura Sucher

1942 - 2009

Hollyhocks

"...Two discredited concepts: Beauty is Truth.  John Keats said this in his “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” and though it’s really old school, it’s still one of my favorite poems.  I might mention that I read a lot of poetry when I was getting that Ph.D. in Literature from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.  Actually the first time I read that poem was at college, in the early 1960’s, and I remember our teacher said something to the effect of, “Of course we know that truth is NOT beauty, beauty NOT truth, what about all the awful things in life,”  and all we Barnard girls agreed.  But now after so many years have gone by I think Keats really meant that, and it wasn’t hyperbole or synechdoche or irony.   It was pretty simple.  Simple doesn’t mean easy, though.

Two Rogers Park Moms

"All the arts put us back on a path of joy, and all the arts spring from one source."

Backyard Path

Self Portrait in Chinese Jacket

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our beloved board member, Laurie Sucher. Laurie held a PhD in literature, was an accomplished singer, pianist and cellist, and an artist whose work beautified many galleries, inclulding our own. We’ve included an excerpt from her own artist’s statement here, along with a few of her paintings.

Redhead

"Keats wrote that poem about an imaginary Greek vase, and on that imaginary vase he imagined a scene of some musicians piping, and a youth chasing a maiden, and a village pageant, among other things...too many things to actually fit on any vase, in fact.  And he wrote that poem in 1820 or so, about a vase that might have been created back in 400 B.C.E or so, had it actually been created.  Imagination is powerful, and builds layers on itself.   So like the rest of us, I try to follow in Keats’ path and let imagination lead on.  Simple, but again not easy."

Christina's Window

Terrace, Heartland Cafe

Legwarmers

See more of Laurie's art here.