Lauren Stroh visits the New Orleans studio of Susan Bowers (@modernpromethea), alongside her life partner Genevieve McKeown (@genevievemckeown), to discuss the literary references and the tonal imagery across her paintings.

“Sue is a product of twentieth-century New Orleans. In high school, she describes herself as both a cheerleader and a prom queen (“I was desperate for this kind of love and attention,” Sue says); she has evolved into an ageless eccentric. She was closeted until recently, although she met her life partner, the artist Genevieve McKeown, at Charlene’s, a since-shuttered lesbian bar in the Marigny, in the 1990s.” Read more from the studio visit at the link in bio. — 1. Susan Bowers, “Wild Horses in the Sunset,” 2025. Image courtesy of the artist. 2. Susan Bowers, “Ghosts Along The Mississippi,” 2025. Image courtesy of the artist. 3. Susan Bowers, “Artist Painting in Paradise Garden After Wildfire,” 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.