Daily Inspiration: Meet Eva Frosch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva Frosch.

Hi Eva , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Switzerland where I initially trained as an ER nurse and later studied Art History at the University of Zürich. I moved to New York 22 years ago and–after a fellowship at the Museum of Modern Art, working for the artist Peter Halley, and being the Gallery Director at Jack the Pelican Presents in Brooklyn–founded the gallery frosch&portmann in 2009 with co-owner hp Portmann on the Lower East Side of New York.

After hp Portmann’s departure at the end of 2020, the gallery relocated to Manhattan’s Two Bridges neighborhood under the new name FROSCH&CO. We strive to be a leading influence within the area’s vibrant art scene and are committed to representing emerging and mid-career artists with an affinity towards witty intelligence. The gallery is interested in presenting an innovative yet art-historically grounded curatorial model that challenges established paradigms. Art should stimulate, maybe provoke—but, above all, its quality should stand the test of time.

All while raising 2 wonderful boys with a wonderful husband, a scientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a gallery is hardly a smooth ride! Especially now when it’s tougher than ever to survive as a small space in New York. but I want to continue supporting artists and contributing to the cultural fabric of the city. It’s such a privilege to work with art and artists, I really love it so much. But sure, it is a challenge!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I originally trained as a nurse in Switzerland—my dream job since I was six. After a while, I wanted to go back to school and pursue something academic. I was torn between medicine, law, and art history, and ultimately chose art history while continuing to work part-time as an ER nurse. I loved the contrast between the two worlds, the hands-on urgency of the ER and the long, nuanced conversations about art and architecture.
After moving to New York, I never pursued a nursing license here and instead focused on my career in the arts. I started with gallery internships, then a fellowship at MoMA, and worked as a studio manager for an established artist. I then became the gallery director at the legendary Jack the Pelican Presents in Williamsburg, where I learned everything about running a contemporary art space.

In 2009, I co-founded frosch&portmann with my friend from the University of Zürich, HP Portmann. We ran the gallery on the Lower East Side for ten years. When the pandemic hit and HP could no longer travel and decided to return to school, I took time to reflect on whether I wanted to continue. In the end, I realized how deeply I love working with art and artists and decided to keep going. That led to the next chapter: FROSCH&CO, now in its fifth year in Chinatown.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
To work with art and artists. Looking at art. Dancing. Movies. Good food. New York City. The Swiss mountains. Biking. Skiing. But above all, my biggest hope.happiness is for my kids to be happy. That probably matters to me more than anything else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://froschandco.com
• Instagram: @frosch.and.co

Image Credits
FROSCH&CO