It Will Be More Beautiful Than You Could Ever Imagine: The Art of Susan O’Malley

The first career-spanning monograph of the healing and optimistic art of Susan O’Malley, presenting all her major works in photographs that burst with color and energy.

Deeply rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the early 2000s, Susan O’Malley engaged her community with unconventional artistic methods: personalized pep talks, site-specific art installations in strip malls, and billboards in bus shelters. Endlessly inventive and empathetic, O’Malley offered reminders that we are all connected and that everyday life holds profound meaning and beauty.

In this immersive book, O’Malley’s major works are presented in vibrant, full color. To encompass her community-focused oeuvre, twenty-four of her collaborators and friends have contributed essays, including Janet Bishop, Chief Curator at SFMOMA, and the beloved illustrator Carissa Potter. This chorus of art luminaries guides you through O’Malley’s extraordinary career, including: 

• Her self-appointed artist residency in suburban San Jose, where she transformed her neighbors’ lawns into artworks.
• The intimate reflections on memory and loss in her My Healing Garden is Green project.
• Her iconic public art series Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self, which offered messages like “It Is Possible” and “Enjoy Your Hair While You Have It.”

This volume reveals O’Malley’s pivotal role in the emergence of Social Practice Art in the Bay Area and her enduring legacy in the broader community-engaged art world since her untimely death in 2015. It is a vibrant monument to a one-of-a-kind artist and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in community building and hopeful creativity.

MAJOR ARTIST: In the years since her death in 2015, O’Malley’s legacy has grown. Her work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions and installations nationwide, and her Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self series is now part of the permanent collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Her work has travelled far and wide, with public projects in the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, and Denmark.

O'MALLEY'S INFLUENCE: This volume features thoughtful writing from twenty-four artists, scholars, and curators, including Christina Amini, Janet Bishop, Vanessa Blaikie, Kevin Chen, Donna Conwell, Amanda Curreri, Harrell Fletcher, Lori Gordon, John Herschend, Ellen Kato, Karen Kienzle, Benjamin Laramie, Jessica Martin, Joey Piziali, Carissa Potter, John Rubin, Meg Schiffler, Kelly Sicat, Bonnie Tsui, Larry Rinder, Leah Rosenberg, Asherah Weiss, Griff Williams, and Christine Wong Yap.

HOPEFUL AND INSPIRING: Susan O'Malley captured the imaginations of countless people by installing art in everyday spaces, using bold and cheerful colors, inviting a sense of humor and play into her work, and conveying her profound optimism. This book offers an antidote to despair and is a perfect inspirational gift for anyone who wants to share a hopeful message with the world.

Perfect for:

• Fans of Susan O’Malley and Advice from My 80-Year-Old Self
• Contemporary art lovers and readers interested in women artists
• Art students and aspiring creatives
• Fans of public art and community building projects
• Residents of and visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area 
• Anyone seeking positive, optimistic art

• Publication date: 3 September 2026
• Page count: 280
• Dimensions: Height 254 mm; Width 203 mm; Thickness 25 mm
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9781797230627