Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1535304
SPRING / SUMMER 2025 29 club life stairway artist / sauna boat Diversity of perception Susan Mask invites viewers to interpret humanity Susan Mask grew up in New York City, where art is everywhere. Her grand- mother, an artist, would let Susan play with her paints as a girl. Family trips to the Guggenheim and architectural tours of New York with her big brother inspired Susan from a young age. "I interacted with art so much growing up," she says. Now, all that interaction comes through her expressive figurative paintings, on display in the Grand Staircase Gallery at the WAC through July. Painted from historical photos and modern content—like a Zoom call—Susan takes real likenesses and renders them in striking color palettes and muted tones. She paints from old photos sourced from Oberlin Village, a North Carolina Freedmen's Bureau community founded by her ancestors. She also draws inspiration from her work helping teach STEM subjects to young Black women. It's this series, "Imagineer- ing 2.0," that will also be on display at the WAC. Many of the figures don't have features, but the bright pops of color in their clothing and energetic profiles embody a striking sense of passion and curiosity. Curiosity is something Susan aims to depict and inspire with her work. "We need to be more curious about one another," she says. "Art asks a viewer to ponder why they're drawn to certain pieces. at inspires me." Susan is particularly interested in depicting the Black ex- perience in America, something she does through her lyrical character studies of Oberlin Village residents and other ref- erence photographs. "I bring my culture to my art," she says. "I'm impressed by Black people and what we've overcome. I find our history a great source of inspiration." Members Alex Beatty and Aaron orn- burg took inspiration from the floating saunas of Scandinavia in launching Wild Haus sauna boats on Lake Union. e ultra-modern Ballard-built vessels offer Seattle's hottest new on-water experi- ence. ey also bring people together in a whole new way. "We want Wild Haus to foster connection," Alex says. Onboard the company's two sauna boats, a pristine deck encircles a wood-fired sauna that gets as hot as 200 degrees. A Wild Haus excursion begins from a dock just west of the Ship Canal Bridge. Once aboard, you'll find plush robes, tea, fresh fruit, and huge gleaming windows to gaze out as the temperature inside rises and the Seattle skyline dris by. rough August 2025, WAC members receive $150 off private voyages. View Club News on the WAC app for details. The WAC members behind Wild Haus sauna boats Susan Mask's "Imagineering 2.0"series will be on display at the WAC. C O U R T E S Y S U S A N M A S K C O U R T E S Y W I L D H A U S