Alumni to Watch

Susan Furini lives on through family endowment

Susan Furini passed away in February 2007 leaving a rich legacy of public art. Her family: mother Pat; brothers Kevin, Mike and Steve; and sisters Shari and Linda, wished to leave another legacy of their beloved Susan. They created the Susan Furini Memorial Scholarship to provide a fellowship within the ASU Herberger College School of Art for a sculpture or ceramics student.

"After Susan's passing, Deanna Stulgaitis called to let me know that several donations were made to the college in Susan's name and we began to talk of creating a way to help others do what Susan loved," Pat says.

Susan received an MFA from the ASU Herberger College School of Art in 1982 and embarked on a career that spanned more than 20 years. Known mainly for public art, Susan's work can be seen in nearly every city in Arizona and several throughout the Southwest, including her first public commission, the facade of the main branch of the Mesa Library, and the Desert Storm Memorial at the capitol's Wesley Bolin Plaza. Her works adorn schools, streets, bus stops and building facades.

Susan worked in Dryvit®, an elastic, stucco-type material that she sculpted into major works. Inspired by artists such as Picasso, his influence is seen in many of her pieces. Susan often embedded glass and ceramics into her work and incorporated open spaces. She was consumed by her passion and worked long hours, often recruiting family members to help her.

Warner Crossing

Caption: Warner Crossing, 1998, located at 8312 S. Hardy Drive, Tempe, ceramic tile, glass and Dryvit®. Photo: Craig Smith

"When I came out to help her on the Desert Storm Memorial, we had worked for weeks and right through the night. We were just completing painting the piece at six the morning it was to be presented," Pat says, who often would come in from Louisiana to help her daughter.

Susan's brother Mike remembers her drive to "get it right," so much so that she'd often forget to pay herself or consider her time spent on a project.

"If a city said they had $20,000 to spend, Susan would get an idea and spend the entire budget on materials to get it just the way she wanted and to give the client the best she could for their money," says Mike. "The art came first. I always admired that she did what she had to do to get it right and that she spent her life doing what she loved."