CYNTHIA F. COOLEY
13 Winding Way, Verona, PA 15147 412-826-5845
www.cynthiacooley.com email:
Cynthia F. Cooley is known for her paintings of Pittsburgh’s hillside neighborhoods and industrial valleys, often contrasted with the changing downtown skyline. Her paintings of steel mill interiors and coal mines are inspired by photos she has taken inside 9 mills and 2 mines. Other works recreate the visual delight she experiences in her travels. Her style of painterly realism combines strong design, and vibrant colors and textures to convey powerful and memorable images.
Cooley was the l989 Artist of the Year in Pittsburgh, and was named a “Master Artist” in l998. She received the Distinguished Career Achievement Award from Lawrence University in 1997. She has had 51 individual exhibitions in 8 states, with over 1900 works in collections throughout the world. She is represented in 90 public and corporate collections.
Born: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1931. Education: Lawrence Univ. B.A., Phi Beta Kappa; Minneapolis College of Art and Design; Boston Museum of Fine Arts School.
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
Borelli-Edwards Galleries, Pittsburgh. “Pittsburgh Memories” 2015; “Pittsburgh Evolves: Looking Back, Looking Forward” 2014; “Steps and Steel” 2012; “Passages” 2010.
Federal Court House, Pittsburgh. “Mill Memories” 2010.
Mendelson Gallery, Pittsburgh. “Two Views” 2008. “Heat” 2001.
Bird in the Hand Gallery, Sewickley, PA “Steps of Pittsburgh” 2006.
Fourteen previous exhibitions 1972-2004.
N.W. Barrett Gallery, Portsmouth, NH. “New England Seacoast” 2004.
“Seacoast Landmarks” 1997.
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA “Recent Paintings” l996.
National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC “Paintings of Industry” l994.
Stephen Foster Memorial Theater, University of Pittsburgh. l992.
Adams Art Gallery, Dunkirk, NY l990.
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA “Continuity and Change” Artist of the Year, l989.
Gallery at Six Deering Street, Portland, ME, l 989.
Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Gallery l986.
Vaughan Gallery, Portsmouth, NH l986. Southern Alleghenies Mus., Johnstown, PA l984.
Shadyside Academy Fine Arts Gallery, Pgh, PA l978 . Mellon Bank, Pittsburgh l970.
Center for Advanced Study, Palo Alto, CA l973. Univ. of Pgh Book Center 1970.
Office of the Mayor of Pittsburgh l97O West Bend, WI Gallery of Fine Art 1969
Clarion, PA, Autumn Leaf Festival, Invited Artist l97O.
Sewickley Academy, Sewickley, PA l969. The Gallery Downstairs, Pittsburgh l967
Pittsburgh National Bank, Pittsburgh 1966 Windsor Gallery, Minneapolis, MN ‘62,’ 64,’67
Marblehead, MA, Art Association Gallery l963. Cambridge, MA Art Asso. Gallery l96l.
Lawrence University Art Center, Appleton, WI l959. MIT Library, Cambridge, MA l958.
Library of Hawaii, Honolulu l956.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Butler Institute of American Art . Carnegie Museum of Art . The Duquesne Club . The Ellis School . Library of Congress . Penn State University Mineral Sciences Museum . Pittsburgh Public Schools . Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center . Sewickley Academy . State Museum of PA . University of Pittsburgh . Westmoreland Museum of American Art
CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
AIOC Corp, NY . Allegheny Technoligies. American Wind Symphony Orchestra . Applied Industrial Materials Corp . Babst Calland Clements & Zomnir . Bayer USA . Blount, Inc . Highmark/Blue Cross . The Bradford Schools . W.C. Bradley Co, Columbus, GA . Brandt Milnes Rea . Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney . Cardiovascular Resources, Inc . Carnegie Group . Central Blood Bank . Consol Energy . Credit Management Co . Dickie, McCamie & Chilcote . Duquesne Light Co. . Eichleay Engineers . Elizabeth Carbide Dye Corp . Equitable Gas Co . First National Bank, Portsmouth, NH . Grable Foundation . HealthSouth, Harmarville . Heinz Endowments . Heinz USA . Helmsley-Greenfield Inc., NY . Henderson Bros., Inc . Carl W. Herrmann, Inc . Janney, Montgomery, Scott . Ketchum Inc . Kimberly Clark Co., Atlanta . Kingsley Association . Longue Vue Club . Lovett Bookman Harmon Marks LLP . Matthews International Corp. McCune Foundation . McGraw Hill, New York . McKinsey & Co., Cleveland & Pittsburgh . Medchek Laboratories . Michael Baker Corp . Minnotte Manufacturing Co . Northern States Power Co., Minneapolis . People`s Natural Gas . The Pittsburgh Foundation . PNC Bank . PPG Industries . .Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation . PSP Metrics . Reed Smith LLP. The Rivers Club . Rose, Schmidt, Hasley & DiSalle . Sauer Inc . . St. Barnabas Health Systems . St. Margaret Hospital . Schneider Downs . Scott & McCune Co . Shadyside Presbyterian Church . Steel City Media . The Pittsburgh Golf Club . Thorp, Reed & Armstrong . Tippins Industries . Treesdale . UPMC Southside Hospital .United Steelworks of America . Webb Law Firm . West Bend, WI Library . West Penn Hospital . Western PA Conservancy . WIICTV
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pitz, Marylynne “Artust Tracks Changing Landscape” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 4/19/14
Berger, David “Artist Cynthia Cooley” Pittsburgh City Paper 5/7/14
Shaw, Kurt “Artist as Inadvertent Historian” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 5/4/14
Rooney, E. Ashley “Artist’s Homes and Studios” Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 2014
Rooney, E. Ashley “100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic” Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Atglen, PA 2011.
Wiggins, S. “The Artist’s View, Collection of the W.C. Bradley Co” Bradley Co, 2012.
“Personality Test: Cynthia F. Cooley” Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Ticket p. 14, 11/15/12
Panizzi, Tawnya “Passages - Cynthia F. Cooley” Shady Ave, Vol. 14 no. 3, Summer 2010.
O’Neill, Brian “Artist Gives Her View of City’s Beauty From Every Angle.”
Pittsburgh Post- Gazette. May 4, 2010
Jones, Barbara “Born of Fire: The Valley of Work.” Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 2006
May, Michael “Steps of Pittsburgh.” Pittsburgh Magazine, May, 2006.
Shaw, Kurt “Bird in the Hand…” Pitttsburgh Tribune-Review, May 7, 2006
Thomas, Mary “Bird is Leaving Its Nest.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 17, 2006.
Austin, Heather “Dinosaurs of Distinction” Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2003.
Domenick, Rose “Steel Talent” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. March 22, l999
Shearing, Graham “Washington Exh.Showcases Artist Cynthia Cooley. Pgh.Tribune-Review, 2/24/94. “Keepers of the Flame” Pgh. Tribune-Review, 9/13/98.
Behe, Rege “Industrial Paintings Reflect Heritage” Tribune-Review. April 4, l996.
Horne, Jean “Fanfare” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. March 25,, l996.
Daugherty, Barbara “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.” North Hills News Record, Oct. l7, l992.
Ruohmaki, Lisa “Beauty and the Beasts” Lawrence Today. Vol. 7l, #2, Spring, l99l.
Agar, Eunice “Urban Sights” American Artist, Vol.54. May, 199O. p. 48-53, 72-73.
Lowry, Patricia “City’s Hillside Houses Intrigue Artist of Year” Pittsburgh Press. Feb. 2, l989.
Miller, Donald “On Art,” Pgh Post Gazette, 10/ 8/94. “Artist of the Year,” Post Gazette 2/3/89.
Polinsky, Nancy “Meet Pittsburgh’s Artist of the Year” Studio l3 (WQED-TV) Feb. 5, l989.
Dunn, Marcia “Industrial Scenes Inspire Artist” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Feb. 8, l987 and 2O other newspapers through Associated Press Wire Service.
“Painters of Pittsburgh - Cynthia F. Cooley” Pittsburgh Press Roto, Feb. 6, l977.
WORK REPRODUCED
Regan, Bob “Pittsburgh Steps” 2015 Cover painting.
Regan, Bob “Names of Pittsburgh” 2009. Cover painting.
“Mill Interior With Slag Buckets” reproduced as background for PA Minerals display, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Township of O’Hara. “O’Hara Township, PA, Portrait of an Am. Community” 2008. p. 48-49.
Science. “Browsing – Born of Fire: the Valley of Work” Vol 315, Feb. 2, 2007. p. 602.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History “Dinosaurs of Distinction” poster 2003
Wilkins, David “Art of the Duquesne Club” 2001 p. 14
Brignano, Mary & Fort, J.T. “Reed Smith. A Law Firm Celebrates 125 Years.” 2002 p. 140
St. Barnabas Health Systems “St. Barnabas in Fall” Ltd. Ed. Print 2000.
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Ctr “Glass: Shattering Notions” l988 p.122
Three Rivers Lecture Series. 1997-98 Program cover and inside illustrations.
US Airways Magazine May, l997 p. 54.
Duquesne Club of Pittsburgh. “The Duquesne Club” Ltd ed. print, l99l.
American Wind Symphony Orchestra. “Water Music” Poster and Program Cover for l989 and l990 European Tours, l993 US tour.
International Poetry Forum. Program Cover, l989-90, l993-94.
Consol Energy. 75th Anniversary Calendar and “Coal Mine On the Mon” Ltd. ed print, l989.
Helmsley-Greenfield, Inc. “On Top of it All” Ltd. edition print, l987.
W.C. Bradley Co. Calendar of Bradley Centennial Art Collection, l987.
Pittsburgh Foundation. Cover, 4Oth Annual Report, l986.
Reed, Smith LLP. James H. Reed Building Dedication Booklet and Medal, l986.
Lawrence Today, Lawrence University Quarterly. Cover, Spring l99l, Summer l978.
Represented by: Borelli-Edwards Gallery, Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
Member: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (Life Member), Pittsburgh Watercolor Society (Life Member), Pittsburgh Society of Artists (Charter member)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND HONORS (partial list since 1983)
Pittsburgh, PA Office of the Mayor 2016.
Pittsburgh , PA 3 Rivers Arts Festival. PWS 70th Anniv. Exhibition. 2016.
Pgh. Watercolor Society “Aqueous Open” National Exhibitions. 2015 & earlier
.Awards ’99,’93, 90,‘84.
Pittsburgh, PA. Panza Gallery PSA “Sanctuary” 2013. AAP “Void/Absent/Empty” 2012
Pittsburgh, PA, Fein Gallery. PSA 2012 Annual Exhibition. “Pittsburgh Industrial” 2010.
PSA 2008 Annual Exhibition. Juror’s Award
Pittsburgh, PA, Frick Fine Arts Gallery, Univ. of Pittsburgh “Slag” 2010
Fallingwater, Mill Run, PA “AAP at Fallingwater” 2010.
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. “When Night Falls” 2009; “Saligia” 2009; “Augere, Artist of the Year Auction” 2009; “Size Matters” 2009”; “Earth & Fire” 2008; “Pgh. Thru AAP Eyes” 2008; Boxes II” 2007; “Vitreous Plus” 2007; “Drawing” 2006;
“Watercolor Plus” 2002. Juror’s Award.
Pittsburgh, PA, James Gallery. “Location, Location, Location” 2010.
Pittsburgh, PA, ArtUp Gallery. “Gritty 250, Art of Work in Pittsburgh” 2009.
Newcastle, PA, Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts. 2008 Mid Atlantic Juried Exhibition.
Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Museum of Art. “Popular Salon of the People” 2007.
Associated Artists of Pgh Annuals 2006 & earlier. Awards 1990, 1983.
Longview, TX Longview Museum of Fine Arts. “Inner Landscapes “ 2007.
Greensburg, PA, Westmoreland County Courthouse “Centennial Exhibition,” 2007 Juror 2nd Pl.
Latrobe, PA, St. Vincent College Gallery. “Urban Water” 3-person exhibition 2006.
Portsmouth, NH, Coolidge Center for the Arts. “Beauty & Bounty of Water” 2006;
“Moods of the Marsh” 2004; “Our Town” 2003.
Greensburg, PA, Westmoreland Museum of American Art. “Born of Fire.” 2006
Exhibition traveled to Germany, Poland, and Spain through 2010.
Hilton Head, SC, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Nat. Juried Art Exh., 2006, 2004.
Greensburg, PA, Seton Hill Univ. “History Through Art II” 2005. Juror’s Award.
Marion, NC, McDowell Arts Assoc. and 6 other sites. “Travelling the Carolinas” 2004-5.
Birmingham, AL, Wright Art Center. Watercolor Soc. of AL 63rd Annual National Exh. 2004.
Scottdale, PA, West Overton Museum “History Through Art” 2004. Best of Show Award.
New York. Nat. Assoc. of Women Artists Annual Exhibitions. Walker Mem. Award 2002, Eliz. Morse Genius Foundation Award 2000.
Washington, PA, Olin Fine Arts Gallery. “W & J National Painting Show” 2002.
Huntsville, AL Huntsville Mus. of Art. Watercolor Soc.of AL 6lst Nat. Exh. 2002.
Ligonier, PA, S. Alleghenies Museum “SW PA Regional ” 2004, Awards 2000, 1998.
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. “Artist of the Year: 50 years.” 2000.
Marblehead, MA New Eng. Watercolor Society Annual 2000.
Oklahoma City, OK, Kirkpatrick Galleries “National Watercolor Oklahoma 2000” Juror Award.
Greensburg, PA, Westmoreland Museum of Art “Masters Exhibit IV” 1999.
Wheeling, WV, Stifel Fine Arts Center. “Casting Creativity “ l999.
Pgh. Center for the Arts. “Fin de Siecle” l999. Juror Award.
Birmingham, AL, Birmingham Library Gallery. Watercolor Soc. of AL 58th National Exh. 1999.
Salem, OH, Butler Institute of American Art. Pgh. Soc. of Artists Biennial l999. Juror Award.
Watercolors Gallery, Pittsburgh “Verse and Vision” l999.
Jewish Community Center, Pittsburgh “Master Artists” l998.
Concept Art Gallery, Pittsburgh “Pittsburgh At Work” l998.
Old Forge, NY, Adirondacks National Exh. of American Watercolors. 1998 + travel sites.
Lawrence University, Appleton, WI Distinguished Career Achievement Award, l997.
Rhinelander, WI, Northern Nat’l. Art Comp. Juror Award l997 (juror Phillip Pearlstein)
National Assoc. of Women Artists. Traveling Exhibition, 1996-1998
Greensburg, PA, Westmoreland Museum of Art. “Southwestern PA Art Exhibition”
Award of Excellence, l996. “Invited Artists” 1985
Pgh. Watercolor Society “Waterworks” Exhibitions. Best of Show 1996, 1993.
lst Award 1987. Juror Awards 1990, 1984
New York, NY, ISE Gallery “Spaces, 1996”
The Artists Magazine Art Competition. Finalist, l995
Harrisburg, PA, State Museum of PA. “Art of the State: PA ‘94”
State Museum of PA Purchase Award l994
Baltimore Watercolor Society, “Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition” l994.
Greater Pgh. Com. for Women Juried Art Competition. Gloria Fitzgibbon lst Place Award l993
Frick Gallery, Univ. of Pittsburgh. “The Artist Looks at Industrial Pittsburgh” l993.
Durham, NH, New England Center Gallery. “The Mature Eye” l992.
Concept Art Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA. “Pittsburgh: Reflections of Industry,” 1990.
The Pittsburgh Foundation “Arts on Thirty” l989.
Youngstown, OH, Butler Museum of American Art. AAP Juried Exhibition, l988.
American Wind Symphony Orchestra, Artist in Residence, Summer European Tour, l989.
American Wind Symphony Orchestra. PA Invitational Exhibitions, l988, l981.
Boston, MA, Copley Society of Boston. “From Pittsburgh to Boston,” l987.
W.C. Bradley Co. l00th Anniversary Collection. Shown in Columbus, GA., Atlanta, GA, and Montgomery, AL, l985. One of 20 artists commissioned to do work for this collection.
Andrew Carnegie l50th Anniversary Exhibition. Dunfermline, Scotland, l985.
Portsmouth, NH, Vaughan Gallery. “AwardWinning Artists” l984.
Loretto, PA, Southern Alleghenies Museum. “Renaissance Reconnaissance,” l984.
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“Watercolor Today, Australia and USA” Melbourne, Australia, l983.
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