Michael Morgan (b. 1992, Syosset, Long Island) is a contemporary mixed-media artist whose work explores themes of identity, loss, LGBTQ history, environmental issues, and societal division. Raised in a conservative suburb of Long Island, Morgan’s early experiences navigating his sexuality within a community at odds with his identity profoundly shaped his artistic voice.
Morgan earned his Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sciences & Policy from Northwestern University in 2014. After the passing of his father, he shifted his focus from a legal career to art and art education. He went on to graduate summa cum laude from Columbia University with a second Bachelor’s degree in visual arts, where he was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. During his time at Columbia, he was also a researcher and graphic designer at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment and was a finalist for the 2020 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics for his writings on environmental theory and art. He has also completed coursework at New York University and University College London.
Currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Visual Arts at Cornell University, Morgan works across mediums including painting, sculpture, collage, and mixed-media installations. His work often highlights underrepresented voices, including a project honoring Christine Jorgensen, a prominent trans figure from his hometown.
Morgan has juried Up Close and curated Emerging, a show of figurative artists at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts’ Project Room. He has combined his interests in the arts and sciences to design and construct a number of Tackapausha Museum’s permanent displays. He was also commissioned by Garvies Point Nature Museum to create an 18 foot long mural depicting wildlife prior to the arrival of invasive animal and plant life.
