Jan
7
Exhibitions
Illuminated Skies: Susan Sugar — A Benefit Exhibition
Opens Thursday, January 7, 6-8pm
About the Exhibition
As an artist, Susan Sugar had both a light touch and a lasting impact. She returned again and again to the same stretches of shoreline, discovering endless variation in clouds, light and weather, which she captured in luminous watercolors and oil paintings. Having begun her artistic life as a dancer, she approached painting with the same grace and sense of movement, allowing each brushstroke to echo the rhythms of wind, water, and air.
For more than two decades, Susan graced our island as a painter, teacher, mentor and friend. She was present at the founding of The Studios in 2006, and donated her annual Summer Solstice workshop to gather a small community each year, charging them to look up at the sky with her and capture what they saw.
Illuminated Skies serves as a tribute to the friend we miss so dearly. Following Susan’s passing in 2026, her remaining work was donated to benefit The Studios. Proceeds from the exhibition will be used to fund programs serving local artists.
Oil on canvas, 48 x 48”
First Thursday Open House
Thursday, January 7, 6-8pm
About the Artist
Susan Sugar (1940–2026) was a painter, educator, and longtime member of The Studios of Key West community. After an early career in dance, she turned her attention to painting, bringing a choreographer’s sensitivity to rhythm, movement, and gesture into her watercolor and oil landscapes.
For nearly three decades, Sugar devoted her practice to the ever-changing relationship between sea and sky, returning to the same coastal locations throughout Key West to observe dawn, dusk, weather, and light. Her paintings transform familiar horizons into meditations on time, atmosphere, and wonder.
Beyond her studio practice, Sugar was a dedicated teacher whose classes blended careful observation with community, often concluding with student exhibitions and shared meals. She was among the first artists sent on residency by The Studios of Key West as the organization developed its own artist residency program, and remained an active and cherished member of the community for more than twenty years. Her legacy lives on through her paintings and the countless artists and students she inspired.
