Remembering Suzanne Wilson’s creative mission: Friday night summer art openings resume at Lake Street Studios
By Katie Dunn
Sun contributor
To know the history of the arts in Glen Arbor is to know Suzanne Wilson (1940–2003). A venerated artist and pillar of the community, Suzanne had the singular ability to translate Leelanau’s land, light, and water into work that felt both intimate and expansive. But perhaps more significantly, Suzanne did not simply depict Leelanau’s landscape—she transformed its cultural fabric.
In 1983, Suzanne joined forces with Ananda (with an “n”) Bricker and Midge Obata to purchase a dilapidated garage on Lake Street in downtown Glen Arbor. The trio—with the assistance of Bricker’s husband, Ben—transformed the unassuming structure into a vibrant compound of studios nestled among old-growth trees and protected wetlands. Suzanne’s atelier stood at the heart the building, and she anointed it: Lake Street Studios Center Gallery.
In the early 1990s, Suzanne’s creative mission evolved yet again. She began organizing Friday night art openings at Center Gallery, the public-facing component of her studio. The premise was disarmingly simple: each Friday evening in the summer, the doors would open wide, unveiling a body of work by a new artist. Neighbors and travelers alike wandered in. Conversations sparked. Music often drifted in from the street. Center Gallery quickly became a haven for painters, potters, and other creative practitioners—as well as their admirers–drawn to the beauty of Leelanau County.
This impulse—to create not just a gallery, but a cultural commons—places Suzanne in the lineage of visionaries such as Marguerite “Peggy” Guggenheim (1898–1979). Though not an artist herself, Guggenheim opened Art of This Century in New York City in 1942. It was a radically experimental venue that helped launch the careers of modernist luminaries: Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Marc Chagall, Clyfford Still, Robert Motherwell, Max Ernst, Man Ray, among others.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential art dealers of the 20th century, Leo Castelli (1907-1999) had a prescient eye and the rare gift to navigate cultural tides. As he described it, “Peggy’s gallery was a sensation…You can’t realize what an impression it made…Nothing of a similar nature has been done to compare with the exceptional space of that gallery and the extraordinary quality of Peggy’s paintings.”
The ethos behind Guggenheim’s space was unmistakable: art as a living force, and the gallery as a site of risk, exchange, and possibility.
Likewise, Lake Street Studios Center Gallery has become a potent crucible for connection and creative exchange–albeit on a smaller, more regional and intimate scale.
As an aside, the story of Suzanne Wilson is more than archival—it is personal. Suzanne was a contemporary of my mom, Kathleen Dunn, a pastel and oil landscape artist. At the time of Center Gallery’s nascency, Suzanne became one of my mom’s first and fiercest of champions, inviting her to exhibit there. It was very much a stretch for my mom, who tended toward reticence and insularity. Nevertheless, Suzanne prevailed upon her: my mom showed her work at Center Gallery for two consecutive summers, 1993 and 1994.
“Suzanne had a generous spirit,” my 82 year-old mom recently recounted. “We both were landscape painters…our styles were somewhat different…but we had a natural connection. She was always so supportive of me.”
When Suzanne passed in 2003, the Sun called her “the heart and soul” of the local artist circle.
Allison Stupka—the oldest of Suzanne’s three daughters—now carries her mother’s mantle at Center Gallery, working in partnership with her husband, Harry Fried. Together with Christine Deucher, gallery manager, they have expanded the gallery’s reach with vigor and curatorial insight—showcasing a broader range of artists, extending the summer exhibition calendar, and strengthening ties with the local arts community, all while remaining true to its roots.
“My mom loved art and artists,” Stupka shared. “She chose to show only original artwork at Center Gallery—no reproductions. I carry on this tradition today and have promoted the idea that buying a painting means that a painter will paint another one. It results in more art in the world.”
Now in her seventh year as gallery manager, Deucher has become central to the pace and character of Center Gallery. Her role combines essential coordination with a genuine connection to every part of the gallery’s operations. As Deucher explained:
“This is the start of my seventh year as the gallery manager of Center Gallery. What does that title really mean? Well, I coordinate the details that need to be in place so that our nine-week season is a success and that when each week’s show opens on a Friday, people will get a chance to experience something wonderful. On the day of an opening, I grab a bucket of flowers from Jane Lively on the way to the gallery, Allison is there with the labels, and when those doors open at 11, we are ready. Artists drop off their work on Thursday, and when I arrive that [Friday] morning, the nighttime task of hanging the show has already happened. For that, Center Gallery relies on the capable hands of Beth Bricker and, last summer, Abs Clark—Beth’s daughter—also came on board for that job. It is always a magical moment to see the artist’s work up on the wall for the first time. We close for a brief hour from 5 until 6, and then the party starts. Our stellar wine pourer is there greeting folks, and everyone comes in to see what is hanging on our walls for the coming week. The buzz of people connecting and talking about the art is the highlight of every week.”
She joked, “Maybe my title should be ‘Ambassador of Art’” – a perfect way to describe how she balances the behind-the-scenes work with creating an inviting atmosphere for visitors.
Each season, Stupka and Deucher work closely to shape the exhibition schedule—reviewing submissions, weighing strengths, and making tough calls. “It’s excruciating to winnow down to only nine artists,” Deucher admitted.
The summer 2025 season of Center Gallery opens on June 27 with Joan Richmond, a Traverse City-based artist best known for her luminous landscapes. This year, however, Richmond presents a shift in focus: a collection of still life works that marks a quiet evolution in her creative practice. She finds deep comfort in the gallery’s embrace—where legacy, intention, and ease define the space.
“Throughout the years, I’ve been impressed with how the people at Center Gallery are professional and yet also bring a friendly atmosphere to the space. This atmosphere that they have created, and ‘legacy’ definitely adds to the culture of summertime in Glen Arbor. I also like the history of the building once being used as studio space for artists like Suzanne Wilson. It’s an honor to be part of this ongoing tradition,” Richmond said.
Acclaimed painter Margo Burian—whose color palette, brushwork, and light-drenched landscapes have become some of the most recognizable and celebrated in the region—returns to Center Gallery this summer for her 18th annual solo show. Burian divides her time between Grand Rapids and the Burdickville area, where she spends the summer months.
“This year’s exhibition is, in some ways, really a continuation of the theme I’ve been working on for the past year and a half. ‘Ordinary Magic,’ which is a gentle reminder to slow down and take note of the beauty that often escapes notice in our daily lives,” Burian said.
Her connection to Center Gallery began after a residency with the Glen Arbor Arts Center. (Aptly, the “Suzanne Wilson Artist-in-Residence Program,” named in honor of Suzanne’s contributions to the creative ecosystem.)
“My relationship with Lake Street Studios came about after I was an artist-in-residence at the Glen Arbor Arts Center. During my residency, I got to know artist Beth Bricker who is co-owner of the Forest Gallery. Beth introduced me to Allison Stupka and Harry Fried, and suggested I apply for a show at Center Gallery. In the beginning, I would rent the artist studio and apartment for three to four weeks a year and come up to paint. For almost the last decade, I’ve rented year-round a studio space at Lake Street Studios. When I first started showing there, I had no idea that almost 18 years later I’d still be showing there! Honestly, it’s a testament to relationships, not only with the artists and small businesses that comprise Lake Street Studios, but also the patrons. I’ve been fortunate to meet so many amazing people through Lake Street Studios, many who’ve become good friends,” Burian said.
For anyone who has ever attended one of Burian’s shows at Center Gallery, it is not she alone whom you will encounter. Her husband, Craig Rawlings—an avid biker often spotted blazing down M-22, taking in the landscape on two wheels—is a steady presence. But he does far more than show up; he is there with visible pride and an entirely genuine warmth.
Best of all, Rawlings almost always introduces himself with a bright grin, saying: “I’m Mr. Margo.” It is a line that lands every time—humble and endearing.
“Yes, I’m often referred to as ‘Mr. Margo’ in the art world,” he laughed. “I try to keep a low profile and just support her work. I’m not familiar with all the techniques that go into creating art, but I do know every piece of art is personal to the artist.”
As a husband, a supporter, and a frequent attendee of Center Gallery’s Friday night shows, Rawling’s reflections offer a grounded, lived perspective on what it means to witness art in community.
“Everyone viewing the work may see a little something different based on their past art or life experiences. At the Friday night gatherings, I love hearing what people see in the work on display…to learn a lot about art and the people themselves. And it is a good way to jump-start your own creativity,” he said.
That spirit—the openness, the sense that everyone belongs—is no accident. It is the legacy of Suzanne Wilson, who believed deeply that art should never be walled off or reserved for a select few. She envisioned a space where both artists and viewers felt an authentic sense of connection and investment. And in the decades since, that vision has shaped far more than a single gallery. Suzanne has helped define the arc of creative life in Leelanau County.
The roster for this summer is an exceptional one. Alongside Richmond and Burian are Amy and Chris Gamble, Joseph Lombardo, Judith Tummino, Rae Lang and Denise Samuels, Pam Spicer, Sandy Ackerman, and LC Lim. The Friday night openings run from 6-8 pm and continue through August 22. This year marks Center Gallery’s 35th anniversary—and my own fifth as their volunteer “stellar” wine pourer.
