Susan Simensky Bietila

{{Short description|American artist}}

Susan (Sue) Simensky Bietila (born 1947) is a Milwaukee-based artist whose protest art includes art and illustration for underground newspapers (including RAT and The Guardian) as well as giant street puppets. She became active as a student in the mid-1960s, when she joined with members of the Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (W.I.T.C.H.) to protest a bridal fashion show in New York City; this experience was Bietila's introduction to the power of art and art-making as a political force, and she chronicles the experience in a comic that is available in the This is an Emergency! print portfolioThis is an Emergency! Print Portfolio. Edited by Meredith Stern. Published by Justseeds, 2012. published by Justseeds, as well as on her blog.{{Cite web|url=http://art-as-activism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bridal-fair.html|title=Susan Simensky Bietila - Art as Activism: Bridal Fair|last=Bietila|first=Susan Simensky|date=2013-03-23|website=Susan Simensky Bietila - Art as Activism|access-date=2017-03-12}} She has also worked in puppet-making, constructing giant puppets for demonstrations related to Latin American Solidarity.{{Cite news|url=http://www.utne.com/community/street-artists-speak-up?pageid=3#PageContent3|title=Street Artists Speak Up|last=Luker|first=Amanda|date=June 2004|work=UTNE Reader|access-date=2017-03-12|language=en}}

As an illustrator and designer, Bietila continues to be involved with the collective that publishes WW3 Illustrated.{{Cite web|url=http://climateprints.org/author/susansimenskybietila/|title=Climate Prints {{!}} Susan Simensky Bietila|website=climateprints.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-12}} Along with artist Nicolas Lampert, she curated Drawing Resistance, a traveling exhibition of political art that included many WW3 Illustrated artists.{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/862099088|title=World War 3 illustrated 1979-2014|last1=Kuper|first1=Peter|last2=Tobocman|first2=Seth|last3=Ayers|first3=William|date=2014-01-01|publisher=PM Press|isbn=9781604869583|location=Oakland, Calif.|pages=316|oclc=862099088 |language=English}}

As an artist and activist, Bietila was deeply involved with organizing against the Crandon Mine in Wisconsin in the late 1990s. Her participation in this work includes creation of signs for marches, giant puppets, as well as a series of tombstones that were placed in public locations and which included messages such as "R.I.P. Crandon Mine." These tombstones later became part of an art installation at the Riverwest Art Center in Milwaukee.{{Cite web|url=http://areachicago.org/victories-to-celebrate/|title=Victories to Celebrate » AREA Chicago|last=Lampert|first=Nicolas|date=July 2009|website=areachicago.org|language=en|access-date=2017-03-12}} Simensky then created a poster to celebrate the 28-year struggle to prevent the creation of this mine, as well as a 24-foot mural called "28 years of People Power,"{{Cite web|url=http://art-as-activism.blogspot.com/2013/03/anti-mine-artwork.html|title=Susan Simensky Bietila - Art as Activism: No Crandon Mine!|last=Bietila|first=Susan Simensky|date=2013-03-20|website=Susan Simensky Bietila - Art as Activism|access-date=2017-03-12}} created as part of the Seeing Green art show.{{Cite news|url=https://seeinggreenartshow.wordpress.com/installations/|title=installations|date=2008-03-23|work=Seeing Green: Art, Ecology, and Activism in Milwaukee|access-date=2017-03-12|language=en-US}}

Simensky is also active as a curator, including her collaboration on the exhibition "Carlos Cortéz and Allied Artists" at Walker's Point Center for the Arts. This exhibition highlights the work of revolutionary artist Carlos Cortéz, as well as artists he influenced.{{Cite web|url=http://archive.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/121520304.html|title=Review: Political posters at Walker's Point|last=Williams-Ng|first=Stacey|date=May 13, 2011|website=archive.jsonline.com|access-date=2017-03-12}}