About Cory Bilicko
Artist Statement I make richly colored paintings, collages and digital drawings that shed light on the marginalized members of society. As a man of Biloxi-Indian heritage living with misophonia (a sound-tolerance disorder), I naturally connect to the personal stories of minorities and people with disabilities. Biography A native of Biloxi, Mississippi, self-taught teaching artist Cory Bilicko has made Southern California his home since leaving New Orleans after college in 1995. After showing his work in numerous solo and group shows, as well as serving as a curator and juror, Bilicko was selected as a recipient of the 2023-24 Creative Corps fellowship through the California Arts Council, working with the nonprofit United Cambodian Community. In that undertaking, titled The Un-Invisible Project, he collaborated with Cambodian non-artists in Long Beach to mentor each one in creating a visual artwork and an accompanying written piece that shared a personal story. The participants ranged in age from 6 to 98 and included individuals who survived the Khmer Rouge genocide. He then won one of nine spots in the City of Long Beach’s Creative Economy mural contest, and he painted a large mural at Recreation Park celebrating the city’s rich diversity and water-related activities. Shortly thereafter, he was selected for the Professional Artist Fellowship through the Arts Council for Long Beach. |