A sculptor born on the lower east side and raised in New York City, Irene Gennaro has been exhibiting nationally for more than 20 years. She has had 19 solo exhibitions, including The Trenton City Museum, The Washington County Museum of Fine Art and The Kentuck Museum. Recent exhibits of her work have been held in Asia. She is represented in Japan by Daiwa Gallery, in Gifu City.
The daughter of a Sicilian stone carver, Gennaro’s father has been a potent creative influence in her life. As a second generation carver, Gennaro bears witness to a unique cultural history that she has reshaped and made her own. "The sculptures I create arise from my dreams or day dreams. These images are, harvested from the subconscious. It is a method of realization that surprises and delights me while generously nurturing my work."
Gennaro received a degree in Graphic Design from The City University of New York, and has studied at The School of Visual Arts, The New School for Social Research and The Brooklyn Museum Art School.
She has worked with children at Columbia Presbyterian’s Pediatric Neurology Clinic as part of an outreach program organized by The National Association of Women Artists. Gennaro has been a member of The Sculptors Guild for 10 years.
Irene Gennaro is the recipient of a 2006 paid Fellowship from The National Academy Museum's Mural Art Workshop Program, NY. She is the recipient of The Bronze Casting Award from Polich Art Works in Rock Tavern, NY and eight awards from N.A.W.A. for carving and sculpture. Gennaro was invited and took part in, La Féte Internationale de La Sculpture de Saint-Jean-Port-Joly, Quebec, Canada's, Exhibition & Symposium 1994.
Gennaro's work is included in several group exhibitions yearly. In 2006 her work was selected to appear in “Archival To Contemporary Six Decades of The Sculptors Guild,” at Hillwood Art Museum, Brookville, NY.
The 2007 exhibition at Stony Brook University's SAC Gallery explored the tragedy of “More Than 450 Women Murdered in Ciudad Juarez.” In another exhibition The College of Saint Elizabeth, NJ explored “The Annunciation In Contemporary Art.” In 2008 12 sculptures are included at Cazenovia College, NY in an exhibition curated by Professor Jen Pepper. The exhibition is titled "earthlink.net."
Sculptures by Irene Gennaro are included in private and permanent museum collections that include, The Trenton City Museum, NJ, The Washington County Museum of Fine Art, MD and Hillwood Art Museum, NY.