EASTON — For Susa Schauer, art has stayed consistent in her life no matter her career. Whether it was being a professional woodturner or a neuroscientist, her heart has kept its love for creativity. Schauer's The Zebra Gallery has provided Easton with a collection of "evolutionary" art and artists.
Her journey to opening the business began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was diagnosed with cancer. She described her diagnoses as a wake-up call. It pushed her to make her dream gallery a reality.
“I thought if I'm ever going to open a gallery, maybe I should (now),” Schauer said. “Life is short. So this beautiful spot across in the Tidewater came open, and I kind of leapt into it.
” Schauer’s decision to not wait allowed her to create a place that would not only help her through the pandemic and her illness, but also helped her establish a community she loved. Schauer said her choice in name for her gallery came as a bit of surprise to her. She did not have a particular connection with zebras growing up, but one day she received a text from her daughter-in-law saying her grandson, who was 3 years old at the time, had just been diagnosed at Johns Hopkins with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, an illness that affects the skin, joints and blood vessels.
After some research, she learned the symbol for Ehlers Danlos Society is a zebra. The symbol called to her and she decided to name her gallery after the animal. Additionally, she made a commitment to give 10% of proceeds to Ehlers Danlos research.
“So I took the name Zebra Gallery, and thought it was destined to be,” Schauer said. “It has made just perfect sense for me in terms of where I am in my life, making this more than just about me, selling other people's art, but in fact, also giving back to some degree. So it feels like a really nice circle.
” Now, Schauer’s gallery features local and international artists. Schauer said when looking for artists to feature in her gallery she seeks art that is evolving, risk-taking and intriguing. Though she has a love for traditional art, she said she wants to help foster high-end art with a contemporary spin.
In her own work, she has worked in a variety of media including portrait painting, woodturning and thread painting. Ingrid Matuszewski, a featured artist at the Zebra Gallery, said she had been a long time admirer of Schauer’s art and it has been a pleasure to work with Schauer in her gallery. Matuszewski, who got into portrait painting later in life, said working with Schauer has established a community of growth for her and her art.
“I think Easton has amazing galleries, so I think the Zebra Gallery complements the other ones in a way that maybe hasn't been there before and represented before because it's more of a contemporary take on art,” Matuszewski said. “I think Susan tries to get in touch with artists who just kind of have different viewpoints on things.” Adam Himoff, a muralist at the Zebra Gallery, said Schauer’s gallery is the first gallery he had been featured in.
Her excitement for his work was magnetic, and her love for art in general drew him in. “I met Susan, and she lights up a room and has some amazing energy,” Himoff said. “And we talked about my art and her art, and I shared photos of my other work.
She had seen the mural before. And she was amazing. She just lit up, and without a millisecond passing just expressed so much excitement and interest in the work.
And so it just seems clear that energy was very convincing.” Schauer said she loves the people on the Eastern Shore, and the opportunity to have her gallery feature local talent, she said, has been wonderful. “There really are so many spectacular people in this town and visiting this town, it's why I came here from grad school and never left 40 years ago,” Schauer said.
“It's a beautiful area, and we have a remarkable group of both artists and buyers, and they're all wonderful people who have great stories to tell. So every day is a kind of learning and creating.”.
