
Portrait Artist, Museum Educator, Author
Greater Pittsburgh Area

Portrait Artist, Museum Educator, Author
Greater Pittsburgh Area
Museum education, art education, arts-in-education, curriculum writing, staff development, graphic design for education, web design, portraiture (people, pets, houses), graphite pencil drawing, colored pencil, oil pastel, watercolor, scratchboard, illustration
(Fine Art industry)
2006 — Present (3 years)
I'm an artist specializing in portraits of people, pets, and places we love in realistically detailed graphite and colored pencil, oil pastel and watercolor. I'm reclaiming my art career after a successful 30 year career in museum and arts education where I created educational materials for all ages.
(Self-Employed; Myself Only; E-Learning industry)
January 1997 — November 2006 (9 years 11 months)
Through Learning Design, Susan Donley created imaginative and motivating educational materials--on paper, on the air, online, on exhibit, and on screen--serving preschool through post-graduate learners for a range of clients, including museums, public broadcast and new media; community, arts, and healthcare organizations; schools and educational institutions; business, government and service groups. She has completed projects for Fallingwater, the White House Historical Association, the National Geographic Society, WQED Pittsburgh, the Center for American Music, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, the Frick Art and Historical Association and many more. She is the author of <i>Pennsylvania Our Home,</i> an elementary Pennsylvania history textbook (Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, 2004).
(Fine Art industry)
1996 — 1996 (less than a year)
(Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Broadcast Media industry)
October 1991 — January 1996 (4 years 4 months)
Created educational materials to accompany local and national public television series, including Mind Your Own Body, The Pittsburgh History Series, Next Step Mars, Within These Walls and Upon These Grounds (for the White House Historical Association), Where in Time is Carmen San Diego. Also supervised Instructional Television Service, including WNET's National Teacher Training Institute.
(Fine Art industry)
1985 — 1988 (3 years)
MLS , Museum Studies, Museum Education , 1982 — 1985
BA , Art, History , 1971 — 1975
drawing, sketching, painting, watercolor, birding, walking, knitting, polymer clay, folk music, local history, history, dog training, pets, nature, photography, genealogy, museum education, art education, arts in education
Distinguished Alumni Lecturer, Westminster College, 1988
Pennsylvania Art Educator of the Year, 1992
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Merit Award, 1992
A Dozen Who Made a Difference, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2002
Celebrate and Share Women of Achievement Honoree, 2009