Cory Sempler

Artist Statement

Cory Sempler is an New York-based artist and art educator whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed media. Thoughtfully selecting mediums to enhance each project's concept, Sempler's work focuses on material exploration, the natural world, and the complexities of personal identity.

Throughout his childhood and adult life, Sempler has always relied on the natural world as a sanctuary. From this space, he creates a personal mythology of hybrid creatures that explore themes of vulnerability, resilience, and the human experience. These lovely creatures serve as a direct metaphor for discovering, accepting, and stitching together his identity as LGBTQ+ in a world that doesn't always understand it. Today, through ceramics, rich painted textures, and elements like fungi or light, Sempler builds a visual world where unique identities are celebrated.

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Sempler earned a BFA from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2015 and an M.A. in Art Education from CUNY Brooklyn in 2020. In 2022, he was an artist-in-residence at The Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia. Currently, he serves as a visual arts educator in the New York City Department of Education.

CV

Education
M.A. Art Education - CUNY Brooklyn - Brooklyn, NY - 2020
B.F.A. - SUNY Plattsburgh - Plattsburgh, NY - 2015       

Experience
Visual Arts Educator - I.S. 187, The Christa McAuliffe School - Brooklyn, NY - 09/2022 - Present


Artist Residency
Cherry Street Pier 121 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA -  2020

Exhibitions
2023 - Mika Pancakes and Booze, Brooklyn, NY
2022 - Cherry Street Pier Hot Air Rises, Philadelphia, PA
2021 - Princeton Public Library, Backyard Birds, Princeton, NJ
2021 - Scrambled Gallery and Gifts Small Works, New Hope, PA
2017 - Just a Taste, Ithaca, NY
2016 - Hopshire Farm and Brewery, Ithaca, NY
2015 - 30 City, Plattsburgh's Downtown and Welcome Center, Plattsburgh, NY
2015 - SUNY Plattsburgh B.F.A. Senior Exhibition, Plattsburgh, NY
2013 - SUNY Plattsburgh Closeline Exhibition - Plattsburgh, NY
2012 - The Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, Artist Member Show, Corning, NY