During her lifetime, Susan Keister was reluctant to exhibit her work. An innate modesty fed her commitment to create privately and quietly, sharing her work only with those closest to her.

This circle included her large and loving family; friends on both sides of Puget Sound; the staff of The Old Alcohol Plant Inn in Port Hadlock; and the board, program participants, and staff of Bayside Housing & Services, the nonprofit she founded with her husband, Gary Keister, to serve people experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County.

With “Susan Keister: A Life of Mark Making” — the exhibition that opens on Sunday, June 9 at the Old Alcohol Plant Inn — all will have an opportunity to enjoy her paintings, prints, and collages, culled from private collections and bound archives.

The original works will not be for sale. Giclée prints on natural rag paper, both framed and unframed, will be available for purchase and by special order. Proceeds from these sales will help support the operations of Bayside Housing & Services, which offers housing coupled with trauma-informed case management services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty in Jefferson County.

For proof that a woman’s age is no barrier to achieving, creating, and influencing those around her, look no further than Keister. It was only later in life that she secured a degree in Art History from the University of Washington, began sharing her passion for the visual arts with others (including visitors to the General Petroleum Museum in Seattle), and spending many hours in her studio—painting, studying new art forms, and taking classes from the masters.

The exhibition shows Keister’s strong use of color and composition. She imbued her subjects with charm, wit, and a muscular eloquence, whether they were the animated products of her dynamic imagination (such as Girl with Pearls, acrylic on canvas, 2005-2016), inanimate objects as still life (Abstract with Grapes, acrylic on canvas, 2005-2016), or discerning and expressive self-portraits (Artist Self-Portrait II, mixed media collage, 2015).

The Women (acrylic on canvas, 2005-2016) was created at the time Bayside Housing & Services was founded. It depicts Bayside’s first program participants—a group of women, all seniors—who were whisked from their tents on the beach into rooms at Bayside Tower, one of two buildings that comprise the Old Alcohol Plant Inn, also known as the OAP.

The OAP had been recently acquired by Bayside’s three founding couples: Chris and Carolyn Eagan, Gary and Susan Keister, and Vince and MaryAnn Verneuil. Their plan was to offer visitors a market rate resort experience in the property’s main building and use the profits to subsidize the temporary shelter rooms offered in Bayside Tower.

Their plan worked. Since its opening, Bayside has expanded its units of housing to 51; housed 304 individuals; provided nearly 100,000 nights in a safe bed and over 36,300 meals; and moved 60% of its program participants into long-term housing.

But back to The Women. Each is of different height; some are so small they might be children. Each face is distinct. One sees a crooked smile here, a worried frown there, and notes that all eyes are locked on the artist, who gave drawing and painting classes to Bayside’s residents until she passed in 2022. With quirky simplicity, The Women achieves “a timeless expression of shared humanity” (to borrow a phrase used elsewhere in the exhibition catalog).

No short biography of Susan Keister would be complete without making note of the kind, compassionate, and non-judgmental way she related to everyone she knew. Her curiosity, ready affection, and genuine warmth were gifts of positive influence she shared with all who knew her. 

Keister’s intangible legacy of emotional intelligence is made profoundly tangible in this selection of the best of her artworks.

Susan Keister: A Life of Mark Making (June 9- August 30 in the Old Alcohol Plant Inn Gallery at 310 Hadlock Road, Port Hadlock) features 75 artworks documented by a 28-page catalog (available until supplies run out)

Opening reception on Sunday, June 9, from 4-6 pm. Giclée prints will be available for purchase and by special order; proceeds will benefit Bayside Housing & Services (www.baysidehousing.org), a nonprofit that serves people experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County.

Karen Clemens is the director of development for Bayside Housing.