Marsha Massih - About the Artist

Marsha Massih - Biography

BIO/CV

Painting, for me, is both a journey and a quest. My work is rooted in discovery: of light and shadow, of texture and color, of observation, memory and imagination. Every painting becomes an unfolding story, inviting viewers to linger and devine meaning.

Living and painting in the Hudson Valley, I feel connected to a long tradition of plein air artists. When I take my easel outdoors, I feel a kinship to those who painted this land before me, while the immediacy of air, light, and natural elements pulls me into the present moment. For my interiors and still lifes I draw deeply from my Persian heritage, which informs my design and color choices.

The craft involved in oil painting is very important to me, so my painting process begins with a ritual of grinding pigments by hand—a meditative practice that helps my focus. Freshly-made paint enriches the vibrancy and energy of the canvas. When I begin to paint, I blend observation with imagination, animated by feminine energy. I love texture, layers, and color, through which I hope to create art that invites the viewer to look, discover and create their own meaning .

Select Exhibits

2026

Bristol Art Museum, When In The Course Of Human Events, Bristol, RI
Mark Gruber Gallery, 50th Anniversary Exhibition, New Paltz, NY

2025

Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Portraits in Bloom, Greenwich CT
Mark Gruber Gallery, Summer Invitational, New Paltz NY
Lace Mill Gallery, 10th Anniversary, Summer Invitational, Kingston NY

2024

Slater Museum, CWA National Juried Show, Norwich CT
Beacon Arts, BeaconArts 2024, Beacon NY

2023

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, 127^th Juried Exhibit, New York NY
Studio 89, Solo Exhibition, Secret Lives, Highland NY
Lace Mill Gallery, Two-person Exhibit, Kingston NY

2022

Studio 89, Two-person Exhibit, Highland NY

2021

Mark Gruber Gallery, Couples in Art, New Paltz NY
Mark Gruber Gallery, 45 Years, New Paltz NY

2020

Juried Online Exhibit, Life Under the Pandemic Moon
Salmagundi Club, Figuratively Speaking, New York NY

2019

Lace Mill Gallery, The Spirit of the Art Students League, Kingston NY
Lace Mill Gallery, Masters at Lace Mill, Kingston NY

2018

Manhattan Borough President’s Office, Waterfront, New York NY
Bannerman Gallery, Art of the Garden, Beacon NY
Art Students League, STartUP Exhibition, New York NY
Mark Gruber Gallery, Flowers in February, New Paltz NY
Unison Arts Center, Contemporary Realism, New Paltz NY

2017

FRED, Art and Autumn, High Falls NY
Lace Mill Gallery, Mavericks, Kingston NY
Hudson Valley Art Association, 84^th Annual Juried Exhibition, New York NY
Mark Gruber Gallery, Spring Invitational, New Paltz NY

2016

Wired Gallery, Mohonk Plein Air at Mohonk Mountain House, High Falls NY
Mark Gruber Gallery, Plein Air Invitational, New Paltz NY
Mark Gruber Gallery, Holiday Invitational, New Paltz NY
Bannerman Island Gallery, Winter Holiday Show, Beacon NY
RobiberoWinery , Solo Exhibit Italian Landcapes, Gardiner NY
Art Society of Kingston, Being Human Figurative Invitational, Kingston NY

2014

Huguenot Historical Society Plein Air Invitational, New Paltz NY

2013

Ulster Savings Bank, Solo Exhibit Hudson Valley Landscapes, Gardiner NY

2012

Atlantic Gallery, Winter Invitational, New York, NY
Dutchess County Arts, Art Along the Hudson, Dutchess County NY

2011

National Art League, 81^st Annual Juried Exhibition, Long Island, NY

2010

National Assn of Women Artists, 3^rd Annual National Small Works, New York NY
Audubon Artists, 68th Annual Juried Exhibition, New York NY
Phillies Bridge Art Auction, Invitational, Gardiner NY
Atlantic Gallery, Winter Invitational, New York, NY

2009

National Arts Club, Small Works Show Invitational, Artists’ Fellowship, New York NY
Mark Gruber Gallery, Home Grown, New Paltz NY
Atlantic Gallery ,Winter Invitational, New York NY

Articles/Publications

2025