Biography

Learn About a Dedicated Contemporary Visual Artist

Employment

  • 2013 – 2020 30 Works of Commissioned Art

    100+ fine arts works executed. Two of my oil paintings donated to worthy causes, one of them for auction. A poetry collection written in the last 5 years; working on a 2nd poetry collection.

  • 1969 – 2002 Public High School Mathematics Teacher, Bronx, NY.

Miscellaneous Employment

  • 2002 – 2006 Realtor

  • 1993 – 1994 Publisher, Writer, Sirken Publications

  • 1990 – 1990 Computers/Mathematics Teacher, Pre-College Institute at Lehman College; Consultant for Star Schools Project, CCNY Graduate School of Education

Education

  • C.C.N.Y., New York, New York

  • 1972 M.A., Mathematics Education

  • 1969 B. S., Mathematics; Minor: Education

  • Includes study in Drawing and Mechanical Drawing

  • 65+ additional college credits, which include poetry study under the late Professor Robert O’Clair at Lehman College in the seventies. Also, studies at The Guitar Workshop in Roslyn, NY in the seventies. A sabbatical study for art at SUNY at Purchase, NY in 1993 for in Life Drawing and Painting; Local Pottery Classes (2003); Life Drawing at HVMOCA in Peekskill (2019-2020)

Affiliations

  • Sierra Club; World Wildlife Fund; Audubon; VFW; AARP

Interests

  • Tennis; Walking; Travel; Reading; Family and Friends

Personal

  • Date of Birth: 1947 in NYC

  • Marital Status; Married to Elsa; two adult daughters

  • Residence: Putnam County, NY

  • Amplified Bio of Michael L. Sirken

  • Cell Phone: (914) 299-4041

  • E-mail: [email protected]

Employment Highlights

  • 1969 – 2002 Teacher of Mathematics

  • 1988 – 2002 Teacher Mentor for the New York City Mentoring Program

  • 1989 – 1990+ The Star Schools Project: Telecommunications and computers to teach science and mathematics. My students wrote mathematical papers that were uploaded to program headquarters principally on the “Connectany Unit.” Computer-generated art was a by-product of these endeavors. Additionally, I conducted teacher training as a consultant in the summer of 1990 for this project at the Graduate School of Education at CCNY.

  • 1990 – 1990 Mathematics taught via computer games in the Pre-College Institute at Lehman College

Published Work

  • 1 Won an open call for the song “Music in My House” composed and sung by me with guitar at HVMOCA/Studio in Exile in the “Climbing the Walls” project. Published on-line in July 2020
  • 2 Won an open call for the poem ”Computer Keys” and published on-line at HVMOCA in the “Writing the Walls” program, June 2020
  • 3 “Mr. Fine Goes to the Eye Doctor,” a children’s book published by Sirken Publications (writer and publisher), 1993
  • 4 Published 7 poems in anthologies and journals, 1989 – 1990
  • 5 “A Radical Question” in Summation, p. 8- 10, Vol. 22, No. 3, Spring 1977
  • 6 “Mathematics with a Guitar” in New York Public Education, p. 26 – 27, Fall 1970

Open Call

  • 1 Won an open call in art to render a painting of a winning poet’s work at Norwalk, Ct Library for November 2019
  • 2 In an online show at Old Town Arts & Crafts Guild, Inc. in Cutchogue, L.I., NY for the painting “Fire 1.0” from 10/13/20 – 11/12/20.
  • 3 In a group show at Jones Gallery in KC, MO for 2 oil paintings “Untitled” and “Child on Bike” from 11/4/20 to 11/26/20.