Mark Opirhory earned his BFA in Illustration from The School of Visual Arts in 2003 and his MFA from The New York Academy in 2009.  He has been teaching at the academy since 2010.  In addition to Intro to Drawing and Painting, he has taught color theory, figure drawing and painting, and is currently a high school art instructor where he teaches art history, studio art, digital photography, and AP art.

He is also a practicing artist.  Using a variety of mediums, his work is heavily inspired by nature and its processes, the human condition, social constructs, 

and personal narrative.  Although he does not associate with any specific artistic movement, he is inspired by a variety of aspects throughout art history.  Technically his art is a synthesis of dutch, impressionist, and expressionist practices.  He has exhibited at a variety of locations such as The Long Island Academy of Fine Arts and The Center for Living Arts.