ON VIEW: July 9 - Aug 3
Charles Ferrara was born in Brooklyn, NY. He has lived a life of service that didn’t always involve art. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school, eventually attaining the rank of Captain in the the U.S. Army Special Forces (Airborne). He began to study fine arts at the New York Institute of Technology after his discharge. After his first year at school the New York Police Department offered him a spot at the Police Academy. After a long service, he retired as a lieutenant with the NYPD and began his ministers education at Drew University’s Theological School in Madison, NJ. He received his M.Div degree and was ordained in the United Methodist Church. He served churches on Long Island and Connecticut, in addition to Police Chaplaincies in both places and in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
After the tragic attack on 9-11 in which he lost several friends, Charles volunteered at Ground Zero from September through December 2001. As a result of the exposure to the toxins during that time, Chares was diagnosed with several illnesses, including kidney cancer. It wasn't until after 9-11 that he once again picked up his sketchbook, pencils, oil paints and brushes employing them as a form of therapy. He has been painting ever since.
