Barbara Cooper works fluidly between sculpture and drawing. The opportunity to work on a big scale, focusing on flow and movement within the context of space and structure is what lies at the heart of her collaboration with Hedwig Dances.
Numerous one-person exhibitions include the Bellevue Arts Museum, Washington, (color catalogue), Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. While working primarily with wood veneer, residencies at Pilchuck, the Kohler Arts/Industry Program, and the Johnson Atelier gave opportunities to explore glass, cast iron and bronze, extending her vocabulary into diverse media. Further scale and media explorations can be seen in public art commissions for the Avalon Branch Library (Chicago) and the Chicago Transit Administration, the Rhode Island Airport in Providence, and the Library at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Meyers.
A Chicago resident, Cooper has received three Illinois Arts Council Fellowships. Her work can be seen at www.barbaracooperartist.com, and Perimeter Gallery, Chicago. Barbara received her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.