Gerry is a painter and lifelong artist, forever exploring innovative techniques and creative expressions in the pursuit of her artistic vision. Classic paintings, modern 3D wall hangings and collages are among her gallery of artwork.
Gerry Anne Lenhart is a lifelong artist, forever exploring innovative techniques and creative expressions in the pursuit of her artistic vision. Classic paintings, modern 3D wall hangings and sculptures are among her gallery of artwork.
I was born in a small Southern Ohio River town, where the South ends and the North begins. I began making art at the age of two, when I created a crayon mural on my nursery wall. Thereafter, my mother kept me provided with art supplies. Drawing and painting were my first love and greatest passion in those child-hood days and one that continued for the rest of my life. There was no family influence or major interest in art or painting in those early years. Many years later, my husband and I became interested in genealogy and I discovered that my great, great, uncle was Benjamin West, who was considered the "Father of American Art." He was President and teacher at the Royal Academy in London, England. Perhaps this was my unknown influence.
When I was 12 years old, I left Portsmouth and spent my adolescence in Kettering, Ohio. While still in high school, I received a scholarship to study art at the Dayton Ohio Museum of Art. After graduation, I majored in Fine Arts at Ohio State University.
That Spring I met a young medical student, Lawrence Lenhart, and fell in love. We were married in his senior year. I continued to paint and write poetry after the birth of our five children.
In the late sixties, I began to paint in oils, mostly representational images, including portraits. By 1970, I was into abstract art and collage and had switched to the medium of acrylics. I have participated in many judged group shows, won awards, and had several one-woman shows. While a member of San Francisco Women's Artist group, I was critiqued by Peter Sells, Art Editor of the California Art Review, who described my paintings at that time as "mystical". In 1989, several paintings and a brief biography were included in the book The California Art Review, by Les Krantz.
Major mentors in my art career have been San Mateo, CA artist Char Preibus and San Francisco, CA artist Leonard Breger, who led a Master-class Art Critique for over 50 years, until his death in 2013 at the age of ninety-three.
When I discovered The College of Notre Dame was offering a Masters Degree in Art Therapy, I was immediately intrigued. I had always had an interest in psychology. I enrolled in the art department at San Francisco State to finish my B.A. in art. One semester as an art major made me decide to change my major to English and Creative Writing. After the freedom of painting as I pleased for many years, the restrictions of academic art were not appealing.
Equally impressive was the excellent creative writing department and writer/teachers at San Francisco State. I graduated in 1985, on the Dean's list, with a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. I have written two books of poetry.
I received my Masters Degree in Counseling and Art Therapy from the University of Notre Dame, Belmont CA. in 1987. I continued to paint and write, and worked for the next few years at the Edgewood Children's Orphanage in San Francisco, where I worked with severely emotionally disturbed children.
In 1989, I enrolled at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, which had a program with an emphasis in Depth, also referred to as Analytical, Psychology (the psychology of Carl Jung). I obtained my Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology and thereafter, was invited to join Delta Epsilon Sigma, National Honor Society for general Scholarship.
I have been in private practice in San Mateo, CA since 1987. Today, my time is primarily devoted to my professional life, and my life as artist and writer, as well as my husband and family (four grandchildren!) and friends.
"Emergence"
Collage by Gerry Anne Lenhart
Jun 29, 2014 to Sep 7, 2014
Doctor of Philosophy
Clinical Psychology
Pacifica Graduate Institute
Santa Barbara, CA
1996
A Developmental Hypothesis Based on The Order of Jung's Psychological Functions: The Genesis Model
Dissertation approved.
1996
Review of Dissertations:
Hidden treasures in the history of Psychiatry.
2002
Delta Epsilon Sigma, Delta Zeta chapter
National Honor Society for General Scholarship.
1996
Secretary/Treasurer of the San Mateo County Psychological Association
2008
California Board of Psychology
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
2003
State of the Art '93
The New England Fine Art Institute
National Invitational Exhibition of American Contemporary Art
Two paintings accepted.
Boston, Mass., May, 1993
Personal biography, two paintings
Reproduced (by invitation only)
THE CALIFORNIA ART REVIEW
Published - Winter, 1989-90
Master's Degree in Counseling and Art Therapy
College of Notre Dame, Belmont, CA. 1987
Art Therapy Master's Thesis:
The TAO of Art Experiential:
A Measurement Designed to Identify Jung's Typology.
Approved, Spring 1987
Painting, Mixed Media
Bay Arts Council of San Mateo County (juried show)
Belmont, CA, 1987
Mixed Media Show, Fifteen Paintings and Wall Hangings
West of Soho Gallery
San Mateo, CA, July - August, 1986
Paintings and Collages
One Woman Retrospective
Hart Gallery, 1/27/85 - 2/27/85
San Mateo, CA, January 27, 1985
(Reception for Artist)
Poem Published in Jungian Journal for
Psychological Types
Australia, 1996
Guest Speaker "An Afternoon with the Artist"
San Mateo Arts Council Bay Arts
Belmont, CA
1985
Guest Speaker
"The Creative Mind"
San Francisco State University, 1985
Painting, Acrylic Collage
Bay Arts (juried show)
Arts Council of San Mateo County
Belmont, CA
1984
Poem published:
"A Conversation with Carl Sandberg"
College of Notre Dame Literary Magazine
1984
San Francisco State University
English and Creative Writing
Bachelor's Degree
1985
San Francisco State University
Dean's List
1985
Acrylic Painting, Merit Award
San Francisco Women Artists
"Year of the Woman" Show
Marin Civic Center Art Exhibition
San Rafael, CA
1982
San Francisco Women's Artist Association
Art Critique by Peter Selz, Editor
Art in America
1981
Acrylic/Collage painting
San Francisco Women's Artist
Crown/Zellerback Plaza (Juried show)
1980
Painting, Acrylic/Collage
San Francisco Arts Festival (Juried show)
San Francisco, CA
1979
Benefit Dinner for Peninsula Art Association
Chef and Hostess for 100 guests
1983
Benefit Luncheon and Modeling Show
Chef and Hostess to benefit Peninsula Art Association
1984
Short story published:
Climate of the Heart
College of San Mateo Literary Magazine
1979
Short story published:
The Pendulum
College of San Mateo Literary Magazine
1979
Eight poems published:
Climate of the Heart
College of San Mateo Literary Magazine
1979
Watercolor, Special Award
Peninsula Art Association (Juried show)
Belmont, CA
1979
Oil paintings (2)
Peninsula Art Association (Juried show)
Chosen to hang in the permanent collection of Art
Mills Hospital, San Mateo
1978
Invention Electrocardiogram System
United States Patent, Awarded
1976
Acrylic/Collage painting
Peninsula Art Association (Juried show)
San Mateo County Fair
1976
Longer Than Forever
After You Left: Notes to Georgia
Book of poems
www.GerryAnneLenhart.net
Wildflowers
Book of Poetry
Unpublished
Petite Poems
Short book of poems with painting/collage
Unpublished
1985
Art Scholarship
Dayton Museum of Art
Dayton, Ohio
1956
~ Gerry Lenhart