Susan Bowers' 'The Devil's Picnic' Opens at New Gallery Phizz in New Orleans

Susan Bowers, an artist from New Orleans renowned for her ceramics, has transitioned to painting and inaugurated a new gallery, Gallery Phizz, located at 1167 Eagle in New Orleans. The opening exhibition, titled 'The Devil's Picnic,' showcases dark, apocalyptic artworks, including a self-portrait named 'Artist Painting in Paradise Garden After Wildfire' (2026), where she is depicted in a straight-jacket surrounded by demons. Additionally, the show features paintings inspired by a fictionalized account of Jeffrey Epstein's prison death, represented as 'Jeffrey Demon' and killed with a garrote. These pieces were created on an iPad, printed, and enhanced with acrylics. Bowers, who recently came out, met her partner, artist Genevieve McKeown, at Charlene's, a now-closed lesbian bar in the Marigny during the 1990s. They will offer paintings and books in the new gallery, honoring McKeown's sister, Margaret 'Maggie' McKeown, who previously owned McKeown's Books and Difficult Music on Tchoupitoulas. Earlier, Bowers exhibited 'Life's a Beach' at Studio Phizz last winter, showcasing vibrant beach scenes. Her piece 'Ghosts Along the Mississippi' (2026), inspired by the book by Clarence John Laughlin, connects both series, illustrating a couple on a desolate beach with Batman in the background. Notably, Bowers has started signing the fronts of her artwork, a shift from her previous method. The exhibition is currently on display at the new gallery, which relocated in May.