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Susan Rodgers

'The Foamies' by Jonathan Spector will be on view at Gallery North through June 22. Image courtesy of Gallery North

Up next at Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket is their annual The Winner’s Circle exhibition celebrating the award-winning artists of the 2024 Outdoor Art Show and Music Festival.

The Winner’s Circle exhibition features recipients of the Best in Show award and best in categories including mixed media, fiber art, jewelry, painting, photography, and pottery at the 2024 Outdoor Art Show and Music Festival hosted every September by Gallery North. Featuring some of the finest art and craft from regional artists and artisans over its long 60-year history, the festival is a vital part of the regional art community and a significant tradition for the public. The 2024 festival judges, Nina Sangimino, Curator of the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook; Frances Campani, painter and associate professor of architecture at the NY Institute of Technology, and contemporary artist, Scott Farrell evaluated over 80 exhibitors to present the 14 available awards.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by the Field Family, Pet ER 24/7, Jefferson’s Ferry, and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning.

On view from May 15 to June 22, the exhibition features works by artists Paul Speh, Cassandra Voulo, Laura and Dennis Kemple, Juan Cruz Reverberi, William Demaria, Galina Carroll, Jessamyn Go, Chloe Wang, Cassandra Hussey, Susan Rodgers, Mary Jane van Zeijts, Jonathan Spector, Ash Garcia-Diaz, Sophia Syritsyna, and Eileen Cassidy.

The community is invited to an opening reception on Thursday, May 15 from  6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Meet the artists and view their work, and enjoy live music by Kane Daily. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.

 

Susan Rodgers, owner of Susan Rodgers Designs. Photo by Kyle Barr

Susan Rodgers had her storefront on East Main Street in Port Jefferson for seven years. But because of the COVID-19 crisis, she decided it was time to change shape and focus on online sales for her Susan Rodgers Designs business. 

“The numbers were going continuously down,” she said. “So, I decided to react and be proactive.” 

Rodgers, a jewelry artisan known for her delicate and beautiful designs first opened her original store in Sayville 10 years ago. Three years later, she moved to the North Shore, settling in the village of Port Jefferson.

The Stony Brook resident said that while the village helped her grow her clientele, the pandemic made it harder to stay afloat because of high rent prices and less customers shopping. She made the hard decision to close her shop and focus on e-commerce at the end of August. She officially closed her door in mid-September. 

“It killed me because I was there for seven years but, as the years went on, I saw my site doing better than my store,” she said. “It made me realize I don’t need 800 square feet to show my work.”

Bernie Ryba, regional director of the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook University, said that Rodgers isn’t the only small business owner to focus on online sales during the pandemic. 

“Businesses that were reluctant to be more accepting of social media marketing and making sales over the internet are now much more willing to do so,” he said. “We’ve really had a bump in internet retail and also the use of social media marketing.”

Ryba added that business owners during COVID-19 realized that taking on more debt wasn’t the best option, opting to check out of their leases. “Banks are working with more industries,” he said, “But more small businesses are trying not to take on more debt.”

And that’s why Rodgers decided to leave. “Every month was $4,000 just to keep everything afloat,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I could have hired more people to help out. … It was a tough decision, but I know I made the right choice.”

Now she’s working out of her home in Stony Brook with one assistant. By saving money on rent and by being home, she’s able to focus on her online sales, which have started booming. 

“Working on social media, contacting buyers …  these are the things I never had the time to do before,” she said. “During all of this, I was able to fine-tune everything that I already had.” 

Although it’s working out now, it was a heartbreaking experience to close her store, nonetheless. “I had to make a decision with my head and not my heart,” she said. “The sales aren’t there, it’s hard — and for my small business owner friends, too.”

Rodgers said that even with Phase 4 reopening, she still had customers who wouldn’t come out and shop because they were still too nervous. Now her customers can shop in the comfort of their own homes. 

“I’m still here,” she said. “I’m just different for now.”