Volunteer of the Year: Susan Deacon
Updated Jul 20, 2022
The Gallery Information Committee is pleased to honor Susan Deacon as its 2015–16 Volunteer of the Year.
Sue's consistent "let's get it done" attitude, her quality work, her dedication and warmth made her an obvious choice. Not until you step back, though, and look at the big picture do you wonder, "how does she do it"?
Sue joined the DIA volunteer community in 2013, starting with Gallery Information and quickly branched out from there. She serves on the committee’s board as statistician—she's the one who compiles and distributes the Visitor Contact numbers and, in fact, redesigned the form and created the binders. As a Staff Aide, Sue has worked in the Evaluation Department and for the last year has worked in the Conservation Lab. She is also the graphic designer for the Staff Aide's newsletter.
The apparent ease with which Sue approaches her many DIA roles may stem from her history of volunteering, which spans more than 25 years. As she explains, it all started when, as a CCS student, she entered a "Cheers for Volunteers" poster design contest. She has since volunteered in countless capacities for groups and causes, including church, school PTA and booster clubs, as well as various civic and charity organizations. Sue walked in two 60-Mile Breast Cancer 3-Day walks, raising nearly $20,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.
On the personal side, Sue is married to her high-school sweetheart, Kevin a mechanical engineer. They have two adult children: Charlie, who lives and works in Durham, North Carolina, and Laura, a newlywed who lives closer to home. All are avid Michigan State fans/alumni and can prove it. They are 30-year season-ticket holders and travel to as many Spartan bowl games, including the Rose Bowl, as possible.
Professionally, Sue began her career as an art director at Ross Roy Advertising and has spent the last 25 years working as a freelance graphic designer. Sue earned her design degree from the College for Creative Studies. There, her art history coursework sparked a special interest in women artists, most notably the life and work of Artemesia Gentileschi. Her favorite DIA work? Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes," of course!
For her most memorable DIA moment, Sue describes how she once observed a family introducing their little girl to Artie the Donkey and explaining why she couldn't touch anything else in the museum. Dad asked, "So, can you see what happens when we touch the artwork?" She replied, "Yes, it turns to GOLD!"
For all of the above reasons and more, the Gallery Information Committee is deeply honored to call Sue Deacon one of their own.
The Gallery Information Committee is pleased to honor Susan Deacon as its 2015–16 Volunteer of the Year.
Sue's consistent "let's get it done" attitude, her quality work, her dedication and warmth made her an obvious choice. Not until you step back, though, and look at the big picture do you wonder, "how does she do it"?
Sue joined the DIA volunteer community in 2013, starting with Gallery Information and quickly branched out from there. She serves on the committee’s board as statistician—she's the one who compiles and distributes the Visitor Contact numbers and, in fact, redesigned the form and created the binders. As a Staff Aide, Sue has worked in the Evaluation Department and for the last year has worked in the Conservation Lab. She is also the graphic designer for the Staff Aide's newsletter.
The apparent ease with which Sue approaches her many DIA roles may stem from her history of volunteering, which spans more than 25 years. As she explains, it all started when, as a CCS student, she entered a "Cheers for Volunteers" poster design contest. She has since volunteered in countless capacities for groups and causes, including church, school PTA and booster clubs, as well as various civic and charity organizations. Sue walked in two 60-Mile Breast Cancer 3-Day walks, raising nearly $20,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.
On the personal side, Sue is married to her high-school sweetheart, Kevin a mechanical engineer. They have two adult children: Charlie, who lives and works in Durham, North Carolina, and Laura, a newlywed who lives closer to home. All are avid Michigan State fans/alumni and can prove it. They are 30-year season-ticket holders and travel to as many Spartan bowl games, including the Rose Bowl, as possible.
Professionally, Sue began her career as an art director at Ross Roy Advertising and has spent the last 25 years working as a freelance graphic designer. Sue earned her design degree from the College for Creative Studies. There, her art history coursework sparked a special interest in women artists, most notably the life and work of Artemesia Gentileschi. Her favorite DIA work? Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes," of course!
For her most memorable DIA moment, Sue describes how she once observed a family introducing their little girl to Artie the Donkey and explaining why she couldn't touch anything else in the museum. Dad asked, "So, can you see what happens when we touch the artwork?" She replied, "Yes, it turns to GOLD!"
For all of the above reasons and more, the Gallery Information Committee is deeply honored to call Sue Deacon one of their own.
