Susan Jennifer Landry

LANDRY Susan Jennifer Landry, a popular New Orleans artist, died Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 3:19am. She was 52. A lifelong proud resident of New Orleans, she was born May 3, 1959 in Kansas City while her parents were on a trip. She is survived by her loyal spouse Martha Brewer, her mother Victoria Moussa Landry, her sister Paula Landry, her brother Billy Landry, two half brothers Kai and Andrew and probably by a half-sister who was never legally recognized. She is also survived by her nieces Ava and Adelyn Landry, Emily Johnson and nephew Ben Brewer, a host of cousins and innumerable friends and devotees. Susan and Martha were married in a civil ceremony in Toronto Canada on December 29, 2003. Ironically, in 2005 they costumed for Mardi Gras as the threat of gay marriage, little knowing that their journey would became a testament to what a false issue that threat is. A local, self-taught folk artist and musician, Susan was strongly inspired and influenced by all types of New Orleans music, sub-cultures and inner city activities. Her unique folk paintings were painted backwards on glass and then suspended above a canvas or board painting. Susan's pieces are constructed and layered with her canvas paintings, wood, metal and found local objects. This Eglomise technique of painting dates back to the pre-Roman era but is an unusual talent rarely seen in contemporary art. She began painting at the age of 35 when experimenting with an old windowpane. Susan's work has been exhibited at several galleries including an individual show at the Contemporary Arts Center, d.o.c.s., Stella Jones, her own Brewer-Landry Gallery, and most recently at Ariodante Gallery. Susan's work was also shown at Sorelle's in Little Rock. Susan regularly donated her art for local charity auctions. Susan was a true Renaissance woman, a jack of all trades and, unlike others, a master of almost all of them. She brought out the best in everyone by her caring attitude, devotion to duty and tireless energy. She attended Ursuline Academy and graduated a year early from Eleanor McMain. She received a B.A. in Biology From Tulane University and an MPH from Tulane University School of Public Health. She worked in tobacco control, as a delivery driver for Fed-Ex, studied and worked in speech pathology, a paralegal and a retailer. She completed an accelerated RN with Our Lady Of The Lake College and worked as an operating room nurse with Tulane Hospital. She was a member of the Human Rights Campaign and Krewe du Vieux. The daughter of Victoria, who was a very successful retailer in the French Quarter with Victoria's Shoes, Susan founded a trendy clothing store Nous Viola and then co-founded, co-owned and slaved tirelessly at the very successful Coffee and Company at multiple locations. She also owned and operated the former Brewer-Landry Gallery. In her spare time she studied jazz and blues guitar. After Katrina's flooding, Susan's heart-felt painting of flooded shotgun houses, titled "Proud To Swim Home," was screen printed on tee shirts. All revenues from the sale of those shirts were donated to the New Orleans Covenant House. Following this successful venture she went on do several other tee shirts collections based on her paintings, most recently a Mardi Gras Indian theme. Diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer in June 2010, her illness did not stop her for a minute. She sought aggressive surgery and treatment at Tulane, and was enrolled in a clinical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. She entered Hospice (which she called Hopscotch) on September 7th, and died at home with her spouse and Flynn and Garbo, their Great Danes, by her side. Susan and Martha wrote about their cancer and life journey on the widely followed blog: www.caringbridge.org/visit/susanlandry. While receiving treatment, she continued to pursue her music and painting, producing a body of new work for her successful show at Ariodante Gallery in November 2010. Only two days before she died, Susan spent the day at the Street Fare Derby Festival at the Fairgrounds. A Mass will be said at St Mary's Assumption Church, 2030 Constance St., on Friday, September 30 at 4pm. A Memorial Service will be held at noon at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., with visitation from 10am-12pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to www.Caringbridge.org/visit/susanlandry, Tulane Cancer Center, MD Anderson Clinical Trials Center, American Cancer Society, Great Dane Rescue of Louisiana or whatever you are into.