Susan Hillary was born in Nyack, New York and is a multifaceted painter, printmaker, farmer, filmmaker and environmental attorney. Her artwork is inspired by her love of nature and life. The colors, light and perspectives of both. Patterns and intersection, environmental advocacy, and endless doodles. She enjoys playing with recycled and found materials, i.e. old car doors, windows, window screens and even window shades.
In the 1980’s when she was a law student in NYC she was a graffiti artist and exhibited her window paintings in East Village galleries. Some of her “window art” was transformed by Kensu into silk scarves which sold at Henri Bendel and Fred Segals.
One her window painting resides in the Gertrude Stein Collection, alongside masterworks of Matisse and Picasso.
Susan continued creating her art while producing and directing feature films in Los Angeles during the 1990’s. Exhibitions of her paintings and drawings were held at the Devorzan Gallery, The Director’s Guild of America, Santa Monica Place and Jim Budman’s The Pink. She also created large prints for Mirage Editions.
Commissions for environmental advocacy groups foreshadowed the direction her legal work would take in the future. She created visual postcard campaigns to stop clearcutting in Montana and to close the Indian Point Nuclear Reactors on the banks of the Hudson. river.
She has exhibited in Upstate Art Weekend for the past 4 years and recently were work was included in the Edges of Ailey Show at the Whitney Museum of Art.
Film
In 1994 Susan directed an improvised feature comedy, Cannes Man Redux, at the Cannes Film Festival starring Seymour Cassel and featuring Johnny Depp, John Malkovich, Treat Williams, Peter Gallagher, Denis Hopper, and many others.
From 1995-2000 she was Head of Production for Cineville International. Prior to that she line-produced the Los Angeles section of Night on Earth directed by Jim Jarmusch.
As an award-winning producer/director, some of her films have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca and Cannes Film Festivals
She is the archival cinematographer of the only footage filmed inside Studio 54 which has been featured in many documentaries including but not limited to; Studio 54 (netflix), Andy Warhol Diaries (netflix), Love to Love You, Donna Summer (amazonprime), and Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive (amazonprime)
Susan’s Studio 54 footage is part of the 2024-25 “Edges of Ailey”, a multidisciplinary exhibition, at the Whitney Museum of American Art
The award winning short The PRATT in the HAT, written, directed and still photographed by about Nyack leader Dr. Francis Pratt. It is available on KweliTV.
Environmental Activism
As a New York State environmental attorney, Susan Hillary Hito Shapiro is a water protector.
She brought ground-breaking litigation that helped close the aging, leaking and dangerous Indian Point nuclear reactors and is currently fighting to stop the dumping of it’s radioactive waste into the Hudson River.
A large interstate Sole Source Aquifer System was protected through her work prevailing on a multitude of cases in the Appellate Division through Article 78 litigation.
Susan was also an Environmental Protection Agency Fellow, and participant in President Obama’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Nuclear Waste. A member of Leadership Council of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC), a board member of Radiation and Public Health Project (RPHP); Promoting Health and Sustainable Energy
(PHASE); and from 2005 to 2015 a board member of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, and founder of the not-for-profit, LEAF of the Hudson Valley.
Farming
In 2009 Susan and her then husband moved to Goshen, purchasing an 1860’s homestead and restarting it as Goshen Green Farm, a regenerative farm utilizing organic, permaculture techniques. Today the farm specializes in organic seedlings, herbal teas, tinctures, skin care products and natural dye materials, all while striving to share and educate the public about the importance of environmental advocacy
The historic, copper roofed Barn and Greenhouse regularly host a variety of events. Farm to table dinners, weddings, private parties, workshops, art exhibitions and film screenings.
As a participant in Climate Solutions Week , Upstate Art Week and more, the farm continues Susan’s work in the worlds of both activism and the arts
StatementSusan Hillary is a multifaceted painter, printmaker, farmer, filmmaker and environmental attorney. Her artwork is inspired by her love of nature and life. The colors, light and perspectives of both. Patterns and intersection, environmental advocacy, and endless doodles. She enjoys playing with recycled and found materials, i.e. old car doors, windows, window screens and even window shades.
CvRESUME Susan Hillary
A multi-talented painter, filmmaker, farmer and environmental advocate,Susan’s intuitive understanding of nature, movement and colors are essential to her expressions of energy, motion, time, space and light.
Exhibitions and Collections Whitney Museum of Art Edges of Ailey 2024-2025
UpState Art Weekend Group 2021-2024
Garnerville Arts & Industrial Center Group 2002-2024
Gallery 66 Valley Rock Inn 2 person 2023
Wallkill River Arts Center Group 2021-2022
Brooklyn Museum of Art Studio 54 2020
Outside In Gallery Group 2018
Seligmann Center Group 2017
Pomona Cultural Arts Center 2 person 2015
Egyptian Theatre Los Angeles 2 person 2008
Arts Alliance of Haverstraw Group 2002
Director Guild of America Group 1994
New York International Print Show Javitz Center 1993
Santa Monica Place Gallery Solo 1993
Jim Budman’s The Pink
Solo 1992 Rapid Algebra Gallery
Solo 1984 Around the Clock Gallery
Solo 1980 Collections and Commissions Highlights Gertrude Stein Collection Devorzan Gallery
Kensu Scarves
Film Production Highlights
2022 Director The PRATT in the HAT Award winning short documentary (kwelitv)
2019 Archival Cinematographer Studio 54 Premiered at Sundance Film Festival (netflix) 2006 Producer/Co-Director/Cinematographer Being Rapanui Nat Geo Documentary 1995-2000 Head of Production Cineville International Feature Film Production & Distribution
1994 Director Cannes Man Seymour Cassell, Johnny Depp,John Malkovich,Treat Williams 1991 Line Producer Night One Earth dir.Jim Jarmusch Gena Rowland & Winona Ryder 1989 Producer Ginger Ale Afternoon Premiered at Sundance & Nominated for Grammy 1984 Cinematographer Andy Warhol TV
StateNY
CountryUSA
