PEOPLE OF INTEREST
81
People
and helped with St. Lucie County as the chair of the former
&ultural $Ϳairs &ouncil , looNed for an organiation
tKat seemed to be maNing a diͿerence.µ
'esSite Ker bus\ scKedule sKe still maNes time for Ker
art. One of her new favorite artistic expressions is Celtic
&reations m\stical Saintings of subMects liNe fairies. ´,·m
ecited about &eltic &reationsµ &assens sa\s. ´,t·s Yer\
diͿerent from before etremel\ colorful. .ind of magical
\ears. 6Ke SicNed it uS again wKen Ker \oungest son was
. $t tKe same time sKe met anotKer one of %acNus· ,ndian
5iYer 6cKool Sainters -acTueline 6cKindeKette wKo liNe Ker
famous mentor was a traditional oil Sainter sSecialiing in
landscapes.
8nder 6cKindeKette &assens Koned Ker landscaSe Sainting
sNills. $fter worNing witK 6cKindeKette for a few \ears &assens
came full circle and started drawing again. 6Ke focused
on Kistorical buildings in downtown )ort 3ierce and SeoSle
began to collect tKem. ´3eoSle also commissioned me to draw
tKeir Komesµ &assens sa\s.
,n tKe s &assens 6cKindeKette and anotKer local artist
6andi *rin oSened tKe %rusK 6troNes *aller\ in downtown
)ort 3ierce motiYated b\ tKeir desire to Sromote local artists.
7Kat was soon followed b\ anotKer galler\ oSening in downtown
)ort 3ierce $rt 0undo wKere &assens was asNed to
giYe art lessons. ,n addition sKe soon began to worN witK tKe
0anatee =one wKere sKe Sromoted artist -o $nn +olcomb.
´:e all KelSed Sromote local artistsµ &assens sa\s. ´,
am Yer\ communit\oriented. , loYe to use art to worN witK
SeoSle and imSroYe tKe communit\.µ
$s if sKe didn·t KaYe enougK to do it was around tKat time
tKat &assens was asNed to cKair tKe 6t. /ucie &ount\ &ultural
&ouncil. ´, was wearing a lot of Kats but it was eciting and
we KelSed tKe reYitaliation of downtown )ort 3ierce in tKe
late sµ &assens sa\s.
7oda\ &assens is tKe new Sresident of tKe nonSartisan
/eague of :omen 9oters of 6t. /ucie &ount\.
´, got inYolYed because m\ \oungest son was uSset about
tKe state of tKings going on in tKe worldµ &assens sa\s.
´6ince , was SroactiYe in tKe reYitaliation of )ort 3ierce
SUSIE CASSENS
Age:
Lives in: )ort 3ierce
Occupation: Artist; president
of tKe /eague of :omen 9oters
of St. Lucie County
Family: +usband 6teYe and
three sons
Education: 8niYersit\ of )lorida
)lorida $tlantic 8niYersit\
Hobbies: $ntiTuing art museums
Who/what inspires me: 0\ cKildren
Something most people don’t know about me: ´1ot eYer\-
one Nnows , traYeled tKrougK (uroSe wKen , was Must witK
a friend. $lso m\ mom·s famil\ moYed to )ort 3ierce Must
after tKe war from (ngland. 0\ grandfatKer was a
building contractor and tKe\ came for economic oSSortunities.
0\ mom -oan +utcKinson met m\ dad /ouis )orget
on a blind date and tKe rest is Kistor\. :e still KaYe close relati
Yes in (ngland and enMo\ Yisiting tKem and Yice Yersa.µ
and wKimsical.µ
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