Suzanne Fetscher, Instructor |
Course Description |
Suzanne Fetscher is a visionary not-for-profit Executive Director and strategic consultant with more than 25 years of experience in creating innovative and relevant partnerships between artist-in-residency programs and communities. An artist herself, Suzanne aligns her creativity, curiosity, and entrepreneurial spirit to support artists in their ability to succeed and grow audience connections that are meaningful for all involved. A pioneer in her field, she positions art as a catalyst for economic, community, and social capital development. Suzanne currently applies her expertise as a consultant, offering guidance to not-for-profit organizations and artist-in-residency programs on organizational and Board development, audience engagement, and artist selection.
McColl Center for Art + Innovation In 2017, Suzanne retired from her 20-year career at McColl Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, after building its artist-in-residency program from the ground up into a community treasure that served more than 400 artists from around the world. At McColl Center, Suzanne established an innovative strategy to leverage the Center’s urban environment to create one of the leading socially engaged artist residency programs in the United States. McColl Center embraced a strong commitment to collaboration and it partnered with more than seventy-five organizations in Charlotte to reach more deeply into the community and introduce working artists to many people who otherwise may never interact with them. Environmental Artist-in-Residence In 2008, McColl Center established an environmental artist-in-residence program with environmental interventions created around the community, receiving a prestigious ArtPlace America grant to develop an Art+Ecology campus in partnership with a nonprofit affordable housing organization and the county parks & recreation department. McColl is one of only two organizations in the U.S. ever to receive two ArtPlace America awards. Atrium Artist-in-Residence McColl Center also partnered with Atrium Health Care System to have an annual Atrium artists-in-residence who worked with patients and healthcare providers on co-created collaborative projects. Innovation Institute In 2005, Suzanne created and developed the groundbreaking, artist-led creativity training program, Innovation Institute, which helped more than 4,000 executives in 60 companies around the US better infuse their inherent creativity into their work. Suzanne recently launched a new version of the program, Riff Ideas, alongside former colleagues to continue this work independently. Qatar Museums & NC Arts Council Suzanne has co-led arts administration courses internationally, most recently in 2015 for 18 high-potential museum leaders for Qatar Museums. In 2017, Suzanne worked with Arts Action Research and NC Arts Council and the Triangle Community Foundation to deliver a series of workshops for 10 area cultural organizations focusing on organizational collaboration. Atlantic Center for the Arts Prior to her engagement at McColl Center, Suzanne was Executive Director of Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, after previously serving as Assistant Program Director and Program Director. During this time, she gained deep insight from the center’s highly progressive community engagement strategy that helped her build the foundation for her later successes. A former board member of multiple not-for-profit organizations supporting vibrant artist communities, Suzanne is valued for her ability to create achievable visions and establish the right organization and partnerships to execute them. Education + Teaching Experience Suzanne received a B.F.A. from the University of Central Florida and a M.F.A from the University of Florida. She spent several post-graduate years teaching design and drawing as an adjunct and full-time visiting instructor at the University of Central Florida and Stetson University. |
With the format inspired by James Lipton’s Inside the Actor’s Studio, the course will feature some of North Carolina’s best contemporary artists. The diverse group of artists range in ethnicity, geographic representation, age, and approaches to creative expression. The format of the course will be an interview between the instructor and artist while providing for the students to be involved in active dialogue with the artist. Students in this course will be introduced to artwork that includes public art, socially and politically informed art, painting, sculpture, and new media that involves augmented reality. The interviews may probe family and educational background, artistic influences, choice of medium, technical proficiency, philosophical underpinnings, aesthetics, creative process, and the role of the artist in society.
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“She made Charlotte a city of creativity and McColl Center a place for artists to be nurtured, do their thing, and be rewarded for it.”
—Hugh McColl, Jr., former Bank of America CEO
—Hugh McColl, Jr., former Bank of America CEO