Artist's Background

Gene Ernst was a Manhattan, KS, native.  He earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1953 from Kansas State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington in 1971.  He practiced in Louisiana and Kansas, and taught at KSU from 1967 to 1992, retiring as Professor Emeritus.  A Corporate Member of the American Institute of Architects, Gene was also a member of the Watercolor Studio of the Manhattan Arts Center, the Kansas Watercolor Society and the Mountain Aire Painters of Crested Butte – Gunnison, CO.  He was also a founding member of the Columbian Artists.

Gene painted en plein aire as weather permitted, and travelled and painted throughout Europe, South America and the Grenadines, West Indies.  His watercolors have been shows at the Chang Gallery, Kansas State University; the Swogger Gallery; Gallery North; the Poppyfield Gallery; the Gunnison (CO) Center for the Arts; the Manhattan Arts Center; the Mulvane Art Museum; and the Kauffman Museum.  The Manhattan Mercury profiled Gene and his work on October 26, 2009, and published a memorial tribute on January 19, 2014.