| dbo:abstract
|
- Susan Duhan Felix (born 1937) is an American ceramic artist who lives in Berkeley, California. Felix is well known for creating ceramics using the technique of pit firing. Her art is heavily influenced by spiritual traditions, especially Judaism. J-Weekly reported that Felix “has works in the collections of some highly regarded Jewish institutions: the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, and the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow.” Felix has served as the first Art Ambassador for the City of Berkeley since 2003, advocating for the arts, attending Berkeley art events, and honoring local artists at City Council meetings. The City of Berkeley has twice declared a “Susan D. Felix Day” (March 16, 1989 and June 20, 1999) to honor her work and artistic contribution to the community. On July 23, 2019, the City of Berkeley presented Felix with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She served on the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission from 1983 to 1989 and was president of this organization from 1985 to 1989. In 2018, Felix began hosting Bay Area ArtBeat, a Cable TV program on the arts that airs on Berkeley Community Media (BCM) channel 28. In 1979, she was a founding member of the Berkeley Cultural Trust, and she continues to serve on the trust to this day. Felix co-founded the Jewish Arts Community of the Bay (JACOB) the same year and served as executive director from 1989 to 1991. In addition to being an internationally renowned artist, Felix is also a housing activist. In 1979–1999, she served as the first executive director of University Avenue Housing Inc. (also known as UAH), a nonprofit in Berkeley creating low-income housing that was awarded the 1991 Berkeley Peace Prize and was one of the model projects of the Red Cross. UAH is also in the San Francisco Department of Housing and Urban Development Hall of Fame. In 1999, Felix received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by Congresswoman Barbara Lee to recognize her service to the community and “honor more than 20 years of service as a non-profit housing developer.” She has developed over 120 units of affordable housing in the San Francisco Bay Area. (en)
|
