A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he holds a B.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a M.F.A. from the University of Chicago. In 2013, Cory traveled to South Africa to participate in the “Project R5: South Africa” cosponsored by the Lilly Fellows Program for the Humanities and the Arts, and the Nagel Institute at Calvin College. While in South Africa, Cory said he learned about the important role art played in the post-apartheid reconciliation process and saw first-hand how artists can be voices for the oppressed.