It is a real privilege to be able to present the work of Karen Gersch on this blog.  I’ve known Karen for over three decades (though we’re both 29), and she’s quite the Renaissance woman: clown, acrobat, painter, educator, producer — and for all of those three decades New York City’s hostess to ever so many variety artists visiting from around the globe.  Karen & I even performed in the Hubert Castle Circus together with Fred Yockers in the late 70s, and I want to say in my defense that any stories she may tell about me from those days are nothing more than wine-induced fabrications.  I thought the best way to introduce Karen to the blog was this series of her paintings and drawings of classic clowns.  We’ll follow up in later posts with her look at more contemporary clowns, and some of her own performance writing.  But first some links:
Karen’s current exhibition at the Blueberry Music & Art House in Greenwich, Connecticut
Karen’s art web site.
Karen’s Showboat Shazzam (formerly Circus Sundays) series at the fabuloso Waterfront Museum (this is last year’s schedule, but check back for this June’s events)
Karen’s Acrobrats performance web site.
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Little Tich

Les Albano

 François Fratellini

Albert Fratellini

 

Grock

Charlie Chaplin

Buster Keaton

European Clown Trio

José Carlos Queirolo

João Cardona

Chicharrão & Pimentão

 

Oleg Popov

Lou Jacobs & Mike Padillo