We had the good fortune of connecting with Meryl Meisler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Meryl, how do you think about risk?
During my freshman college semester, I aced an Art for Non-Art Majors class. The professor asked, “Have you ever considered becoming an Art Major?” My heart literally pounded. I called my parents to ask their permission to major in art. “As long as you get a teaching degree so, you can always make a living”. I majored in Art Education but was scared to teach. When I moved to NYC in 1975, I was a freelance illustrator for a few years. I rarely had to get up early in the morning and was entirely free to frequent and photograph the clubs popping up all around me. I applied for a Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) Artists Grant and worked 1978-79 for the American Jewish Congress, photographing Jewish NY and researching my family’s roots. Nights were still my own, and I continued exploring the Disco scene that was growing raunchier and more outrageous.

When CETA ended, so did their steady paychecks. I knew the freelance life was not for me; I was always waiting for the allegedly missing check sent out in the mail while trying to pay my bills that came in steadily. I wanted employment security, union representation, and perks like sick time, health benefits, and a retirement plan. I became a NYC Public School Art Teacher in 1979. Even in my retirement savings plans, I did not invest my money in stocks; I sought safe, secure, fixed-rate options. Throughout my national award-winning teaching career, I continued to do my own artwork, exhibit, apply for, and sometimes receive grants and fellowships.

Thirty-one years later, I retired from teaching in public schools to focus full-time on my personal art career. My pension and social security benefits are my hard-earned artist fellowship. I have total creative freedom with a self-made safety net and enjoy every minute of it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a photography-based artist with a quirky eye. I am proud of who I am as a person and the growth in my artistic career.

This past year and upcoming months are filled with exciting highlights: My first solo museum exhibits, “Suburban Sensibilities” and “Nightlife NYC: 1977-2023” (Zillman Museum of Art, ME), “Simply Scintillating: A Retrospective” (CLAMP, NYC), The sample work is from a current exhibition “American Families” (Polka Galerie, Paris). Coming up are “Fire Island 1970’s: Meryl Meisler” (Werk, St. Petersburg) and group exhibits at Long Island Museum (South Hampton, NY), Fotografiska Museum (NYC), and Musée de la Musique (Paris). My first two monographs, “A Tale of Two Cities Disco Era Bushwick” and ‘SASSY ’70s Suburbia & The City,” are now out of print. The latest “New York PARADISE LOST Bushwick Era Disco” is quickly selling out. Now, I’m working with EYESHOT on a book focused on my street photography. Individuals and institutions are collecting my work.

I am grateful to be alive and well, with joy and purpose. It’s been a long, challenging road to get to where I am today, and I am still going and growing.

Some lessons learned and advice to others:
• Find role models and a supportive community who help and inspire one another.
• Keep learning; take workshops and courses, especially if you feel “stuck.”
• Be open to exhibiting in unusual spaces and collaborating with others.
• Health and well-being come first.
• Never give up!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in New York City and Woodstock, NY.

In NYC, I love going to Broadway Theater, gallery openings, and museum exhibitions, walking the streets in different neighborhoods, checking out current club scenes, and eating in good, old-fashioned coffee shops. Recharge your energy while people-watching. NYC is a great city.

In Woodstock, take a walk on Tinker Street to check out the local one-of-a-kind stores and restaurants. Explore the scenic wooded paths and waterways. Breathe in the fresh country air spirit of America’s most famous small town.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my wife, the artist Patricia Jean O’Brien, for always believing in the importance of my work and keeping a balance of professional and personal life. Patricia designs my graphics, signage, books, and mass mailings. She makes me “look good.”

Website: https://www.merylmeisler.com/

Instagram: @merylmeisler

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryl-meisler-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merylmeisler

Image Credits
Portrait of Meryl with cameras: Dean Goldberg All the other photos are by Meryl Meisler

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.