Susan Bryant

Susan Bryant is a visual artist whose career bridges the worlds of photography and painting, grounded in both traditional technique and contemporary expression. Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, she holds a degree in painting from Indiana University and an MFA in photography from Indiana State University. Now based in Clarksville, Tennessee, she devoted 37 years to teaching at Austin Peay State University, where she influenced generations of artists before retiring.

Throughout her career, she has explored a wide range of photographic and mixed media processes, including black & white gelatin silver prints, hand-colored silver prints, 19th-century wet plate collodion (tintypes and glass negatives), digital hand-coloring, and color photography. Her foundation in painting remains a central thread in her practice, often merging with photographic elements to create rich, layered visual narratives.

Her work has been featured in 25 solo exhibitions and more than 100 juried and invitational group shows across the United States. She is a recipient of a Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship in photography and a Kodak Award for photographic educators. Her work is held in numerous public, corporate, and private collections, reflecting a lifelong commitment to the evolving dialogue between image, memory, and material.