H.E. Yolande Y. Smith is happy to announce that this year’s Artist in Residence is Ms. Susan Mains.

Born of American parents, Susan came to the Caribbean in 1970 while still a child. Mrs. Mains attained her education at the Berean Christian Academy, Secondary School in Grenada. In 1979, she attended the Cedarville College, OHIO, USA where she obtained a BA in Biology and in 1985 – M.Ed., 1987 D.Ed. at the Freedom University FLORIDA, USA.

While living in Dominica in the ’80s with her husband and young children, she met Dominican artist Glenford John. A young, self-taught artist, he began giving helpful criticism to her first efforts at painting. Soon she was exhibiting and continuing what she describes as a “self-inflicted art education”.

In a word, Susan Mains paints with passion. The resonance of vibrant colour, the broad, gestural strokes of the brush or knife, and the mystery of the tale she spins in each painting convincingly portrays her passionate love for the Caribbean. A self-taught artist, Susan is a Grenadian. She grew up in Grenada, and her family is four generations grafted in—since 1950. Recent DNA and family tree research revealed that her family actually came in the 1600’s from England to Barbados, then Grenada. The now named Westerhall Estate was part of their holdings. It was shocking for her that the family once owned slaves, and her reply to this is, “You can’t change the past, but you can change the future.” Bringing attention to social justice has been part of her art.

Early in 1992, Susan and her family returned from Dominica to settle in their beloved Grenada. From her home/studio in St. Paul’s, in the mountains above St. George’s, she paints. The inspiration is always before her as she looks out the window of her studio to Morne Gozo. For more than 35 years Susan Mains has been pursuing the mystery of the Caribbean in her painting, writing, and now mixed media works.

Susan Mains Gallery has been in business in Grenada since 2002. Her work has been exhibited in the Caribbean, Canada, USA, Germany, Australia, China, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, India, and UAE. Born in the USA in 1958, she is a Dual Citizen, USA/Grenada. For the past 20 years she has operated Susan Mains Gallery, a centre for artistic activities in Grenada. In 2018 she opened a dedicated art event space in the village of Callisto, along with her son Asher, also a noted artist. Susan has been the Curator and Commissioner for the Grenada Pavilion at la Biennale di Venezia for five consecutive editions. She was the curator for the art displayed in the Grenada Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. She has volunteered with the Grenada Arts Council for more than 25 years, taking Grenada’s art to Barbados, Dominican Republic, and the USA. Susan’s work has been taken all over the world by private collectors. In Grenada, her paintings can be found in the leading hotels, banks, and other commercial enterprises. Her philosophy is that the creative arts are a sustainable resource, and just like any other resource, they need investment for the full potential to be realized.

For her outstanding contribution to the Arts, in 2020 Mrs. Mains has been awarded by Queen Elizabeth a British Empire Medal.

Ms. Main’s piece, “Pull Together Grenada”, will be prominently displayed on the mantle in the Ambassador’s office.