Where the Wind Leads
by Katy Shero
[Originally published in the Fall 2026 issue of Mount Gretna Magazine. View the complete issue to experience this story in its original design, along with additional photographs and content.]
Morgan Pallas recalls hauling her RV to the middle of Salina, Kansas, braving an 113-mile-per-hour windstorm. Born and raised in central Pennsylvania, she didn’t envision visiting Kansas, let alone being there to be a part of an art show.
“You know, the locals there are used to the winds,” Morgan recalls, “and I asked some of the artists around me at the show, ‘What do you guys do if there’s a tornado warning or something?’ and they were like, ‘Just zip up your tent and say a prayer!’”
Nevertheless, she says it was an “awesome show,” and just one of the many stops she’s made across the Midwest and East Coast, joined by her husband, daughter, and three cats (one being 14 years old).
Judging by the number and caliber of art shows she has participated in over the last few years — and the upgrades and resources she and her husband, Dylan, have invested into her setup and art booth — Morgan might be mistaken for an artist who’s been touring for decades.
However, the Mount Gretna-based artist says she’s only been doing this full time for the last three years, starting around age 34 after having what she describes as a “wake-up call.”
“I kind of had this ‘What am I doing?’ moment,’” she says. “I was a stay-at-home mom, and I had this lifelong dream of being a full-time working artist. My mom had cancer, and my dad got laid off, and this just put me into this mindset of ‘What do I have to lose? Why am I putting off my dreams?’”
Morgan admits she has always been an artist. Her birthday was almost a “foreshadowing” of her future career. Her mom’s water broke the weekend of the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show — a weekend that was a particularly special one every year for Morgan’s family.
“I went almost every year with my family, and I remember when I had my first decent-paying job and being able to buy my first piece of art there, this hand-sewn and dyed garment that I still have,” she says. “As we’d walk through the art show, my mom used to say that one day I was going to be there.”
That prophecy came true. In 2023, Morgan was selected to be one of the Art Show’s “Emerging Artists,” after spending several months committing to her craft every day.
“When my daughter was about 5 months old, I finally made time to sit down and draw. I drew out this idea I was envisioning, and I just suddenly felt like I came up for air and didn’t realize what I needed this whole time was to create,” she says. “It requires consistency though. People would ask me, ‘Oh, how long did this painting take you?’ and I’d say, ‘Well, that’s about two weeks’ worth of nap time for my daughter.’ It had to all be very calculated.”’
She describes feeling “imposter syndrome” at the Art Show, the first art show she ever participated in. She says it was a dream that had always felt “out of reach” in the past. Despite this, Morgan says she’s thankful for that first show, which served as a muse to make more art and commit herself to her blooming career.
Another muse, she says, is Mount Gretna itself. Much of her art is nature-focused, with paintings of whimsical woodland scenes filled with soft green lily pads, wide-eyed frogs, and playful red-and-white spotted mushrooms. Her goal is to evoke feelings of beauty and bliss and create art that captures the peacefulness and tranquility of Gretna.
“Inspiration is everywhere in Mount Gretna. It’s very much like everyone has fairy houses, and the old cottage community is so cozy. I’m constantly taking reference photos of things here that would be a neat element or piece of work,” she says. She adds that the area “makes your nervous system relax,” which she says helps with the tangible process of creating, too.
Morgan also draws inspiration from the energy of other artists, whether they’re located in Mount Gretna themselves — which she says the area oozes with talent and like-minded artists — or she meets them while touring. Acknowledging how challenging it can be to navigate the travels and day-to-day hustle of a full-time working artist, she leans into other artists’ words of wisdom to keep her motivated.
“When we bring our daughter with us, a lot of them say it reminds them of the days they were selling their art, starting out, wearing their babies strapped to them and bringing their Pack-and-Plays to shows,” she says. “It’s scary at first, but they remind me that you just have to keep showing up.”
Showing up is exactly what Morgan has continued to do for the last three years. She has no intention to slow down any time soon. Morgan offers her own words of wisdom to herself and to any aspiring artists, young or old, or anyone seeking to achieve anything in general.
“Work hard, be consistent, and you’ll make something you’re really proud of. The more you show up, the more the muse will keep feeding you ideas and wanting them to be born into the world through you,” she says. “Any creative endeavor makes the world a better and more magical place. It’s a blessing and a miracle to give something to the world around you, and it’s important we keep creating because seeing what humans can make inspires hope in others too.”
Katy Shero is a freelance writer, professional journalist, and editor. As a Palmyra native, she has many fond memories of visiting Mount Gretna while growing up. She most recently worked as the editor-in-chief for Susquehanna Style magazine before moving to Durham, North Carolina, in May 2025.
