Cory Wright
Cory Wright is a plein air painter based in Florida whose work is rooted in a lifelong passion for light, place, & observation. She grew up in TN & earned her BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design after studying in Rome through RISD’s European Honors Program. With over 25 years of experience as a trompe l’oeil muralist, Cory brings strong design & technical skill to her landscape paintings in oils. Since discovering plein air while in Italy in 2011, she has earned awards at Paint Outs around the southeast. Her work is collected nationally & internationally.
Biography
Education:
1998 Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, BFA in Painting
1996-97 European Honors Program, Rome Italy
Selected Exhibitions, Juried Shows & Awards:
2025 Plein Air Fairhope, AL, Best of Show Award
2023-25 The Big Tiny Show, The District Gallery, Knoxville, TN, 3rd Place Award ‘23
2025 Artists on Location, Knoxville, TN, Honorable Mention
2025 Shadows on the Teche Plein Air Competition, New Iberia, LA, Best Mini Painting Award
2024,25 Winter Park Autumn Sidewalk Art Festival, Winter Park, FL
2024 Winter Park Spring Sidewalk Art Festival, Winter Park, FL
2024 Evanston Plein Air Festival, Evanston, IL, Award Winner
2024 Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast Community Art Show, Osprey, FL, Best of Show Award
2024 Peace River Painters “Quick Draw” @ Artists Acres, Englewood, FL, Second Place Award
2023 6” Squared Juried Exhibition, Randy Higbee Gallery, Mesa, CA
2022 The Big Tiny Show, The District Gallery, Knoxville, TN, Third Place Award
2022 Plein Air in the Smokies “Quick Draw” Competition, Maryville, TN, Second Place Award
2020 June BoldBrush Fav 15% Winner
2020 St. George Island Paint “IN” People’s Choice Award
2020 “Small Things Considered” Juried Exhibition, Arts on Douglas, New Smyrna Beach, FL
2019 “Something Tasty” Exhibition, ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton, FL Honorable Mention
2018 A Plein Air Affair Exhibition, Studio at Gulf & Pine, Anna Maria Island, FL, Honorable Mention
2018 Light Chasers “Quick Draw” Competition, Sarasota, FL, Second Place Award
2017 Arcadia Plein Air Paint Out, Arcadia, FL, First Place Award
2016 Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition, Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Awarded Commission to create a large Public Art Panel Painting for the city of Bradenton, FL
2016 Light Chasers Annual Show, Philippi Estate, Sarasota, FL, Honorable Mention
2015 3rd Annual Arcadia Plein Air Paint Out, Third Place & People’s Choice Awards
2015 “Favorite Things” Exhibition, Sarasota Art & Frame Gallery, Second Place Award
2015 “Summer Beauty” Exhibition, Sarasota Art & Frame Gallery, Third Place Award
Artist Statement
I chase light the way some people chase stories, by showing up, setting my easel, & letting a place speak. With plein air, time is of the essence, shadows shift, colors surprise me, and I have to trust my instincts before the moment disappears. I’m constantly solving visual puzzles like how to mix the exact glow of a cloud at dawn or how to crop a scene so it breathes. With each painting I try to convey a fleeting experience and offer it back to the viewer, hoping they feel what I felt standing there.
“Best of Show” Award Winner at Plein AIr Fairhope in Alabama (2025)