Meryl Meisler

Meryl Meisler was born in 1951 in the South Bronx and raised in North Massapequa, NY. Inspired by Diane Arbus, Jacques Henri Lartigue, her dad Jack, and grandfather Murray Meisler, she studied photography with Cavalliere Ketchum at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Lisette Model in New York City. Meisler frequented and photographed the legendary New York discos. A 1978 CETA Artist Grant supported her portfolio on Jewish identity. Upon retiring from 31 years as a New York City public school art teacher, she began releasing large bodies of previously unseen work, including her books, “A Tale of Two Cities: Disco Era Bushwick” (BIZARRE Publishing 2014), “Purgatory & Paradise SASSY ‘70s Suburbia & The City” (BIZARRE Publishing 2015), and “New York PARADISE LOST Bushwick Era Disco” (Parallel Pictures Press 2021). Meisler is co-recipient of the Center for Photography at Woodstock 2021 Affinity Award. She has received support from Artists Space, CETA, China Institute, Japan Society, Leonian Foundation, Light Work, LMCC, New York Foundation for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Puffin Foundation, VCCA, and Yaddo. Meisler lives and works in New York City and Woodstock, New York. She is represented by ClampArt.