Michael Cunningham is a self-taught artist currently living and working in his home studio in Goodyear Arizona. Michael was born in Meadow Brook Long Island N.Y. He grew up in Elmont another small town in Long Island N.Y. As a child Michael was naturally inquisitive and fascinated with nature. He would often attempt to recreate things he encountered while out playing. Long Island was a wonderland at that time. Endless beaches, estuaries and marshes provided direct access to the abundant natural beauty he loves.
After his service in the U.S. Army Michael enrolled in the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco California. He earned a degree in the culinary arts and is now a professional chef as well. He likes to infuse his love for both painting and cooking into a new work or simple lunch.
Michael began painting over thirty years ago, some of his accomplishments include multiple public and private commissions. Museum and college slide presentations, lectures, and painting demonstrations., museum retrospective exhibits and prestigious solo gallery shows. His work has also been featured on syndicated television shows. Michael was the first African American art gallery owner in southern California in early 2000, this is where Michael began to fine tune his approach to creating his own unique style of work which is distinctly his own. His work is focused on the lighter side of daily life and human endeavor.
Today Michael is co- curator of Vision and Sound: An African American Experience, the first and only show of its kind in Arizona. Michael noticed a void for black art in the Phoenix art scene after relocating here. He wanted to develop a showcase for all disciplines of African American art. In 2016, Michael and his wife Norma launched Vision and Sound: An African American Experience. The show is now in its Eighth year and has grown to include musicians, authors, film makers and installation artists to name a few. Vision and Sound partners with all the cities in the West Valley and supported by many organizations.
