Art by Karen E. Gersch

      I grew up in what was then rural Rockland County (all fruit orchards and woodlands), with drawing and painting from life a daily, beloved ritual.  At 16, I won a scholarship to Pratt Institute, where I majored in fine arts and minored in theater.  Driven by a love for circus, I studied dance and acrobatics; after earning a BFA from Pratt, ran away with my first tented shows, art supplies in tow.  Over several decades of touring the U.S., Canada and abroad, I kept a large loft on the Bowery in NYC, where I continued to paint and exhibit. 

      Early gaps in my Exhibition History correlate with touring contracts I held for one-ring and three-ring shows, as well as ballet and theater engagements. I took great pleasure in alternating running around circus rings with women balanced on my head, with serenading oil paint on canvas in my skylit loft.  On the road, I constantly sketched in ink, watercolor and pastels, painting from these studies once I returned to the Bowery. 

       When I met my husband, I half-abandoned NYC for Connecticut, but was working in the Wall St. area when 9/11 struck. The tragedy crushed me.  I knew, both personally and professionally, dozens who perished. In time, it invoked a body of new work,"Still Smoldering"and propelled me to address the effects of global terrorism and social injustices through an ongoing series of collages.  

       My permanent move to Orange County in 2013, felt like a circuitous karmic route; back to nature and back to exploratory painting.  We renovated an old Victorian house with lots of space and light. No longer an acrobat, but empowered from my life on stage and in circus rings, I teach creative programs for youth and teens; direct and choreograph full length adult productions.  More importantly, I have returned to exhibiting new work inspired by rural living and to curating large-venue shows in universities, galleries, art and cultural centers.