Susan Crowell

Susan Crowell is a Professor of Art at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments in the Penny Stamps School of Art & Design and the Residential College. She is affiliated with the Center for Japanese Studies, Residential College, and the International Institute. A Fulbright Scholar, Crowell specializes in ceramics, with research focusing on pollen forms, pollination processes, and their intersections with industrial apiculture, global commerce, and genetic modification. Her work blends botanical science, apicultural aesthetics, and ceramic sculpture.

Education: MFA (University of Michigan School of Architecture and Design, 1972) and BFA (University of Michigan, 1969). She conducted research at Rome’s Centro Internazionale di Ceramica and directed U-M’s Florence Program. Her practice has explored themes ranging from moral narratives to wind-driven sculptural forms, with recent works addressing ecological concerns through ceramic media.

Exhibitions include international venues in Japan, Italy, Canada, China, and Denmark. Notable works include Fluctuation (2001), Phantasmagoria Wall (2007), and installations engaging pollination studies. Her 2016 exhibition at the Matthei Botanical Gardens further integrated ecological themes into large-scale ceramic installations.