Meet Rachael Gorchov | Artist, Gallerist and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachael Gorchov and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachael, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
I think sometimes of a line I shared at the Museum of Natural History in New York City in my eulogy for my stepfather, Mark Kennedy, at his memorial there. Mark was a origami enthusiast. The lecture hall at the museum was filled with individuals from around the world who had a meaningful experience with Mark in some shape or form. To paraphrase my eulogy, Mark spent most of his time sitting alone in his basement, watching movies while making idiosyncratic little objects and through that activity, he built a formidable community of varied individuals from around the globe over a shared interest: origami.

To a large degree I use my stepfather as an example when thinking about my end goals. Community and meaningful interpersonal connections are at the center of my work as an artist, gallerist and educator. At the end of my career I want to have sparked and sustained meaningful dialogue through my artwork, have had a hand building the visibility of a range of artists, and help to set in motion the creation of many other professional and creative communities for years to come.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m an artist, co-director of an artist-run gallery and college professor. I am where I am professionally through a strong support system built of friends, family and close professional relationships. Hard work and tenacity play important roles too. My professional story is still a work in progress. In many ways I’m living the dream, but once you achieve certain dreams, they become reality. Along with the ideal comes life and all of it’s mundanity, frustrations, challenges. I I’ve learned that life is long and patience and open-mindedness is important, though sometimes hard to accept. Professional goals and priorities shift and change along with personal goals and priorities over time. The separation between the two is often quite indistinct. Currently I have a young child, My son, a reality who was only a dream for a long time is taking precedent in my life along with my work at Northampton Community College and Tiger Strikes Asteroid. My personal studio work is less of a focus currently. I expect that the balances of these focuses will change in the future. They will expand when the time comes, and contract to make space for other yet-to-be named pursuits.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m in the Lehigh Valley – Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton in PA. Start your day early with breakfast at Jumbar’s in Bethlehem, then get some fresh air by picking up the D&L Rail Trail from one of its many trailheads. Or if post-apocyloptic is more your scene, head over to the Hoover Mason Trestle at the Steel Stacks. You could visit the Allentown Art Museum where admission is free every day, then pop across the street to check out the current show at the Baum School of Art. Make sure to also hit Soft Machine Gallery while you’re in Allentown, and come back in the evening for some comedy or live music. For a late lunch and a drink, head up to Eight Oaks Distillery in New Tripoli, then make sure to get to the Allentown Farmers Market at 4pm for performative shouting and weekly closeout deals. For some lovingly locally grown produce and flowers, check out the Farm Stand at Terra Fauna Farm in Northampton, or the East 40 Farmers Market at Northampton Community College.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My brother, Jacob Gorchov aka Palto Flats

Website: http://rachaelgorchov.com

Instagram: rachaelgorchov

Other: http://tigerstrikesasteroid.com

Image Credits
1. Steel Pixel Studios
2. Steel Pixel Studios
3. Rachael Gorchov
4. Steel Pixel Studios
5. Rachael Gorchov
6. Norm Paris
7. Pacifico Silano
8. Rachael Gorchov