Bio — Merri Cyr

About

Originally from Adamsville, Rhode Island, Merri Cyr lived in Brooklyn NY for 30 years working as a fine art and commercial photographer. Primarily focused on portraits of musicians and artists, her clients include Disney, Columbia Records, Sony, Vimeo, Warner Brothers, Verve, Polygram, Rolling Stone, among many others. Merri was the in house photographer from 2009-2019 for Apple Events in NYC Soho store, photographing actors, musicians, designers and movie folks for podcasts. As part of an Apple Events team, Merri worked in tandem with creatives collaborating on artwork for the Apple website, photographing around 800 events in NYC Apple event spaces. She currently lives in Westport Massachusetts with her husband, dog, cat and 13 chickens. Additionally, Merri received four grants to support her various projects from the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), the Fall River Cultural Council (FCC), and the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). In 2022 Merri received grants from the FCC and the New Bedford Cultural Council.
Merri received four grants from the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), one from the Fall River Cultural Council (FCC), and the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). Merri also received grants from the FCC and the New Bedford Cultural Council.
photo by Guido Harari

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Portraits of musicians and Apple podcast guests

Merri’s books of interviews and photos featuring musician Jeff Buckley

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Four of Merri’s generative digital fine art works on metal were commissioned by Google to be displayed in their new building in Cambridge MA in 2022

In 2019 Merri returned to Westport where she became a member of the Cultural Council from 2020-23. In response to the Pandemic she started the Westport Artist in Residency Program at the Westport Land Conservation Trust. Thanks to grant money from the Helen Ellis Trust and Bank of America, she curated five artist residencies over a period of four years at the Westport Woods on Adamsville road in Westport MA.

Ian Sylvia- Westport Artist in Residence Program_ August 2023

Hanna Vogel- Westport Artist in Residence Program_June 2022

Matt Magee- Westport Artist in Residence Program_July 2021

Andy Moerlein- Westport Artist in Residence Program_August 2021

Additionally she has facilitated two Wampanoag events working with members of the Mashpee tribe in 2022 and helped produce and raise funds for a Native American dwelling called a wetu that was installed at Round the Bend Farm. In 2023 she and Peter Crowley also co-ordinated a project with The Trustees, Westport Land Conservation Trust and Westport River Watershed Alliance (WRWA) inviting members from the Mashpee and Nipmuc tribe to burn out a canoe known as a mishoon. The mishoon was presented at the WRWA on River Day, June 24, 2023.

Currently Merri is working with Rob Cox of the Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust on revivifying Wainer Woods, a property that’s been in his family for 225 years. The farm will be cleared and focus on creating a food forest, seed saving, art, Native culture and will be a place to grow and enjoy the healing power of nature. Merri will be curating art and culture projects and seed saver gardens. She also designed the Wainer Woods website. Check it out!