Visual artist Barbara Cooper draws inspiration for her sculptures from nature, paying close attention to how form grows and evolves as it responds to its environment. This process of transformation is the foundation of Cooper’s work. Her sculptures, which she creates using wood, cast iron, and mixed media, have been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions. She has also been commissioned to install pieces of public art in Hindsdale, Illinois; Fort Meyers, Florida; Providence, Rhode Island; and Chicago, Illinois. Cooper’s work is held in the collections of The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art in Washington D.C., and Yellowstone Contemporary Art Center in Montana.
Cooper is the recipient of awards and residencies from The City Museum of Copenhagen, Illinois Arts Council, Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, The Camargo Foundation, Blue Mountain Center, MacDowell, and Yaddo. Having received a B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Cooper has taught and lectured at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, William Rainey Harper College, Hinsdale Art Center, Montana State University, and Syracuse University.
