Born in Clifton, NJ, Rick Midler was a student of pop culture, namely cartoons, comic strips and tv commercials. He attended the University of Delaware where he received a B.S. in visual communications and in 1989, was hired by the One Show, a prestigious award show recognizing creativity in advertising.

From 1991 to 2007 Midler worked on Madison Avenue, creating well-known commercials for big brands such as M&Ms, FedEx and Pizza Hut. His work launched Cingular wireless and soon he became a senior vice president and creative director in charge of Snickers and the New York Stock Exchange. Throughout his career his work has been sited in AdAge, Creativity Magazine and Communication Arts Journal and received many top awards including Cannes, the London International Festival, and the Mercury Award. In 1992, a short film for HBO earned him an Emmy.

Midler’s artwork has been exhibited in Manhattan’s Gallery at Crew Cuts, the NuNu Gallerie and most recently at the Brooklyn Artists Gym where Midler is an artist-in-residence. He lives in Park Slope Brooklyn with his wife Samara and son Jude the Dude.