ANITA COOKE
Website: anitacooke.com
Email: anitadc@aol.com
Instagram: a_cookestudio
Facebook: Anita Cooke
GALLERIES AND COLLECTIVES
Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art
1515 Dalrymple Drive; Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 383-1470
Flavio Dolce Art Projects
8129 Oak Street; New Orleans, La 70116
1 (504) 296-0589
The Renegade Artist Collective; New Orleans, LA
https://renegade-artist-collective.squarespace.com
EDUCATION
1984 MFA Tulane University; New Orleans, LA Ceramics/Sculpture
1978 BFA Kent State University; Kent, OH Ceramics
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025- 26 SEARCHING FOR GOLD 2; Springfield Museum of Art; Springfield, Ohio;
Curator: Jennifer Wenker
2024 SEARCHING FOR GOLD; Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art
2022 STRATA: INSIDE/OUT; Baton Rouge Gallery, Center for Contemporary Art
NEWSFEED: NO PICNIC Installation at The Front, New Orleans; Sept.
BAGGAGE CLAIM, Installation at The Front, New Orleans
2021 EDGEWORKS; Baton Rouge Gallery, Center for Contemporary Art; Baton Rouge, LA
2018 STRATA: Sculptural Textile Paintings, Mixed Media and Collage
Georgetown Art Center, Georgetown, Texas August 10- September 23, 2018
2016 DIMENSIONAL PATTERNING II: STRATA, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans LA
2012 DENSITY, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans, LA
2009 DIMENSIONAL PATTERNING: SEWN CONSTRUCTIONS, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery,
New Orleans, LA
2004 LAYERED WORLDS; Carol Robinson Gallery, New Orleans, LA
1999 GRIDWORKS: NEW WORKS IN CLAY, Carol Robinson Gallery, New Orleans, LA
1996 COLLECTIONS: NEW WORKS IN CLAY, Carol Robinson Gallery, New Orleans,
1992 HOMEVISIONS AND OTHER WORKS IN CLAY, Carol Robinson Gallery, New Orleans,
1991 ANITA COOKE: RECENT WORK, Carol Robinson Gallery, New Orleans, LA
1987 ANITA COOKE: RECENT WORK, Mario Villa Gallery, New Orleans, LA
1985 ANITA COOKE CLAYWORKS, Mario Villa Gallery, New Orleans, LA
SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
DIMENSIONAL DIALOGUES; Flavio Dolce Art Projects, New Orleans February-March
RENEGADE ARTIST COLLECTIVE; Sullivan Gallery, New Orleans: April-July
2024
Louisiana Contemporary; Ogden Museum of Southern Art; New Orleans
Juror: Lauren Haynes; August-October
RENEGADE ARTIST COLLECTIVE. New Works; Lemieux Gallery, New Orleans;
Curator: Christy Wood
BEYOND BOUNDARIES; Flavio Dolce Art Projects, New Orleans La. April-June
CONTEMPORARY CHRONICLES; Flavio Dolce Art Projects, New Orleans, La; Curator: Rodrigo Franzao, founder of Museu Textile
2023
LOUISIANA CONTEMPORARY; 2023-24 The Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Juried by Aleesa Pitchmarn Alexander, Stanford University Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
TRADITIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS; The Renegade Artist Collective at The building; March
MEDITATIOJNS ON THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE; Christwood Atrium Gallery; Covington, La
2022
EQUINOX: The Renegade Artist Collective; Studio Waveland, Waveland, MS; Oct, Nov.
TROUBLED WATERS; Windgate Museum of Art at Hendrix College; Conway, Arkansas; April-May; Curator: Bianca Littlepage,
The Marjorie Morrison Sculpture Biennial; Hammond Regional Arts Center; Curator: Pat Macaluso; Jan.-Feb.
The Renegade Artist Collective at The Building; The Building, New Orleans; March
Artfields; Artists from 12 Southern States, Lake City, South Carolina; April
Summer Reading; The Front Collective at Carroll Gallery, Tulane University; July
2021
#3DMississippi Sculpture Invitational; Studio Waveland; Waveland, MS; June-October
Behind Every Beautiful Thing: Encountering Bodies, Wrestling the Human Condition;
Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans; Dr. David Robinson-Morris, Curator
National Works on Paper; Grand Gallery, Shearman Fine Arts Annex, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA; juried by Robyn Phillips-Pendleton, jurors award
No Boundaries; The Virginia Quilt Museum; Harrisonburg, VA; juror: Marcia Young
The Renegade Artist Collective; Dec. 2021; The Building, New Orleans, LA
2020
Textiles: Past to Present, An Invitational; The Greenwood Art Center, Greenwood, Ohio.
Curator: Jennifer Smith Nov. 2020- Jan. 2021
The 2020 FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Socially and Politically Engaged Art. Juried by Carlton Wilkinson.
Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University; Johnson City, Tennessee; October 6–
December 11, 2020; jurors award
Louisiana Fine Art Showcase; SLU Contemporary Art Gallery of Southeastern Louisiana
University; curator: Cristina Molina
Inspirations; New Orleans Art Center, curator: Christina Juran; Group Exhibition
Art of the Cosmos; Temporarily Postponed. 25 International artists exhibit works inspired By images from the Hubble Space Telescope in conjunction with the STARS Creativity Conference; Los Angeles, CA; April-August, 2020
2019
Southern Threads; Southern Ohio Museum of Art; curator: Charlotte Gordon;
Portsmouth, Ohio
25 Influential Women Artists; Studio Waveland; curated by Erica Larkin Gaudet;
Waveland, Mississippi
Artfields; Artists selected from 12 Southeastern states; Lake City, South Carolina
Earth, Soul and Home; Invitational curated by Christina Juran; New Orleans Art Center
2018
Louisiana Contemporary; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, La. Juried by
Courtney J. Martin, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Dia Art Foundation
Shelflife; Acadiana Center for the Arts, Main Gallery; Lafayette, Louisiana.
Curators: Brian Guidry and Mary Beyt. August 11- November 10
Biomimicry- Re-defining Nature Through Art; Fine Line Arts Center; St. Charles, Illinois
Piecework; The Front Gallery, New Orleans; Curator: Cynthia Scott; July 14- August 5, 2018
Fiber National 2018, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, Virginia. Curator: Rebecca A. T. Stevens
2017
Louisiana Contemporary; Juror: Shantrelle P. Lewis; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
Art Melt/Forum 35 2017; Capitol Park Museum; Baton Rouge, LA
International Fiber Arts VIII, Curators: Eszter Bornemisza, Wendy Lugg, Jason Pollen;
Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA
Art of the South; Curator: Mark Scala; LRoss Gallery; Memphis, TN
Balance; Mayflower Arts Center; Troy, OH, 1st Place Juror Award
Fantastic Fibers International; Curator: John Hopper; Yeiser Art Center; Paducah, Kentucky, Honorable Mention
Art on Paper; Pier 36, New York, NY with Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
4th Louisiana Biennial National; Curator: Rachel Cook; Louisiana Tech University School of Design; Ruston, LA
2016
A Building With A View: Experiments in Anarchitecture, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA Curator: Andrea Anderssen PhD- the Helis Foundation Chief Curator of Visual Arts
La Femme, New Orleans Art Center, New Orleans, LA Curator: Don Marshall
Collector’s Choice, Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, FL
Art Market San Francisco, Booth 101 with Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
Seattle Art Fair; Booth C2 with Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
2015
Reverb: Past, Present, Future, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA Curator: Isolde Broielmaier
Expanded Media, Carroll Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, Curator: Laura Richens
2014
TRAHC 26, Annual Juried Exhibition, Texarkana, TX, Curator: James DeWoody
2013
Crescent City Connection, The Dishman Art Museum at Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
Curators: Megan Young and Jonathan Ferrara
2012
NOLA Now Part II: Abstraction in Louisiana, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA Curator: Don Marshall
Texas Contemporary; Houston, Texas, with Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
2010
Art by Choice, Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS
2009
In Stitches, Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery, Curator: Beth Rudin DeWoody, New York, NY
Postcards From the CAC, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA
2008
Gallery Artists in Conjunction with Prospect I, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans LA
2000
Clay at the Turn of the Century, St. Tammany Art Association Art House, Covington, LA
1998
The Ghost of Joseph Cornell: Louisiana Artists who have been influenced by Joseph Cornell,
Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA Curators: Doug MacCash and Laura Richens
1997
Survey of Contemporary Clay Artists, Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell, LA
Curator: Patricia Watkins
1996
Southeastern Sculpture Invitational, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA
Curator: Don Marshall
Thomas Mann: The Burial Project, Invitational, Gallery I/O, New Orleans, LA.
1995
Ceramic Sculpture Invitational, Montgomerey College Rockville Campus Art Gallery
Rockville, MD; Curator: Kevin Hluch
Ceramic Sculpture Invitational, Center of the Earth Gallery, Charlotte, NC Curator: Paul Sires
1994
Louisiana Sculptors, St. Tammany Art Association, Covington, LA Curator: Don Marshall
100 Years of Ceramics at Newcomb College 1894-1994: A Faculty Retrospective, exhibit in conjunction with the annual NCECA Conference, New Orleans Museum of Art
Ceramic Works, four-person exhibition of works in clay, Carol Robinson Gallery
1993
Contemporary Crafts in the Urban Environment, juried exhibition of Louisiana contemporary works in Craft media in conjunction with “The Year of the Craft, New Orleans Museum of Art, Curator: John Perrault
Experimental Glass Exhibition, Gallery I/O, Invitational in conjunction with Studio Inferno, New Orleans, LA
1992
Vessels: An Exploration of the Sculptural Vessel, Loyola Danna Center Gallery, New
Orleans, LA Curator: Carole Leake
1991
Ceramic Expression, Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell, LA
Limited Seating: Louisiana Artists Interpret the Chair, Gallery I/O, New Orleans, LA
Curator: Thomas Mann
Delta Mud, Louisiana in Clay, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA
1989
Annual Michigan Artist Competition, Battle Creek Art Museum, Battle Creek, MI
Juror: Don Baum
Kalamazoo Area Show, Kalamazoo Institute of Art, Kalamazoo, MI Juror: Miriam Shapiro
1988
Western Michigan University Faculty Exhibition, Dalton Center, Kalamazoo, MI
1987
Louisiana in Clay, Downtown Gallery, New Orleans, LA Curator: Don Marshall
Functional Art, Mario Villa Gallery, New Orleans, LA
Rockbottom, 2-person show, Foster Gallery, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Loyola Faculty Exhibition, Fine Arts Gallery of Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
1986
Stephen F. Austin State University Faculty Exhibition, Art Department Gallery, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX
2nd Annual Art Place Canal Place, in cooperation with the CAC Juror: Henry Geldzahler
18th Annual Louisiana Craftsmen’s Show, LSU Union Art Gallery,
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA Juror: Bill Kramer
Loyola Art Department Faculty Exhibition, Danna Center Art Gallery, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
Newcomb Art Department Faculty Exhibition, Newcomb College Art Gallery, Tulane
University, New Orleans, LA
Ceramics Works Invitational, Spirit Arts Center, Charlotte, NC
1985
Sculpture Works, Mario Villa Gallery, New Orleans, LA
Festival of New Works, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA Juror: Roberta Smith
Loyola Art Department Faculty Exhibition, Danna Center Art Gallery, Loyola, University,
New Orleans, LA
Newcomb Art Department Faculty Exhibition, Newcomb College Art Gallery, Tulane
University, New Orleans, LA
Bastille Day Exhibition, 4-person show, Marigny Gallery, New Orleans, LA
Pots About Pots, Variations on a Clay Anatomy, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
NCECA Conference
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Artist Profile, by Lee Cutrone; New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles Magazine; Winter 2019 edition.
Material Comforts, by R. Stephanie Bruno in Personal Space/Inside/Out section of the TimesPicayune/The New Orleans Advocate; Aug. 2019
Critics’ Picks: “Louisiana Contemporary” at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art by Ann Hackett/ Pelican Bomb, Sept. 14, 2018
Woman’s View, by John D’Addario, Beaucoup Section, The New Orleans Advocate, March 17, 2016
Reverb: Past, Present, Future by Eric Bookhardt. Gambit Magazine. Oct. 19, 2015
At the CAC, Past, Present and a Bit of the Future of Post-Katrina Art,” by John D’Addario.
The New Orleans Advocate, Aug. 26, 2015
Unusual Inspirations Make Fascinating Art by Carol Schlueter. Newcomb Art News. Sept. 30, 2015
Artists See the Poetry in Trash at Tulane University by Doug MacCash. The Times-Picayune. Sept. 2015
Finding Home Art E-Walk by Nemo (blog) Sept. 22, 2015
Anita Cooke: Artist Profile, by Ian McNulty, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles Magazine, Winter 2012
Works by Aaron Collier and Anita Cooke by D. Eric Bookhardt, Gambit, November 13, 2012
Art Fly: Julia Street November Openings, by Rachel Gorman, Pelican Bomb, online Arts
Magazine, Nov.9, 2012
Art in Abundance, Watching the River Sew by Doug MacCash Lagniappe Section, The Times-Picayune Newspaper, Oct.2, 2009
Details, Details, Textural Complexity, by Karen Gist, Inside/Out Section, The Times-Picayune Newspaper, New Orleans, LA Oct. 3, 2009
Anita Cooke Creates a Stunner and Then Takes a Breather, by Doug MacCash, Lagniappe Section,The Times-Picayune Newspaper, Dec. 31, 2004
Busy, Busy: Anita Cooke’s Complicated Collages are Obsessive Masterpieces, by Doug
MacCash; Lagniappe Section, The Times Picayune Newspaper, New Orleans, LA May 14, 2004
Three For the Legacy by Terrington Calas, The New Orleans Art Review, May/June 2004
New Orleans Gumbo, by Gerry Williams, The Studio Potter Magazine, Volume 29 #2, 26 Ceramic Artists in Louisiana
Feats of Clay: Making a Point in the Medium, by Sam McCarty, The Covington Picayune
Newspaper, Feb. 3, 2000
Anita Cookes Grids, by Marian S. Mclellan, The New Orleans Art Review, May/June 1999
Marks, Grids and Mazes, by D. Eric Bookhardt, The Gambit Weekly, April 27, 1999
Ecole de Cornell, by Terrington Calas, The New Orleans Art Review, Jan./Feb/ 1999
Anita Cooke: Human Roots, by Judith Bonner, The New Orleans Art Review, May/June 1996
A Cornucopia of Clay, by Chris Waddington, Lagniappe Section, The Times-Picayune Newspaper, March 25, 1994
Home Visions, by Judith Bonner, The New Orleans Art Review, October, 1992
Anita Cooke at Carol Robinson Gallery, by Rick Wilson, ISMS, A Journal of Criticism and
Contemporary Thought, October 1992
Ceramic Art Show Opens at Center, by John Kemp, The Picayune Newspaper, Oct 1991
Fragments of A Culture, by Jesse Nash, The New Orleans Art Review, March/April 1991
Cooke’s Monumental Ceramics Work Best, by Roger Green, Lagniappe Section, The Times-Picayune Newspaper, Feb. 22, 1991
New Mural Brightens a Too-Often Drab Landscape, by Mark Maher, The Kalamazoo Gazette Newspaper, Fri. Nov. 24, 1989
Knauss Mural Intensive Task, Says Ceramist, by Rebecca Janson, The Kalamazoo Gazette, Thurs. Oct. 12, 1989
Multi-Colored Mural, Western News, Western Michigan University, Vol. 16, Number 11, Nov. 9, 1989
Three Artists Weave a Sense of Mystery in an Impressive Exhibit, by Roger Green, The
Times-Picayune/States Item Newspaper, March 28, 1987
Loyola Faculty Exhibition, by Roger Green, The Times-Picayune/States Item, Nov. 10, 1985
New Works Heralds a Bleak Future, by Roger Green, World of Art, Lagniappe, the Times-Picayune/States Item, March 1, 1985 (review of juried group show)
Sibling Rivalry, by Virginia Levie, The New Orleans Art Review, A Journal of Criticism, Feb./March 1985
New Work Disappointment, by Luba Glade, Beholder Section, The Gambit Weekly, March 1985
Contrasts, by Luba Glade, Beholder Section, The Gambit Weekly, Feb. 9, 1985
Viewing a Trio of Talented Sculptors, by Roger Green, Lagniappe Section, The Times-
Picayune/States Item, Feb. 1, 1985
Recent Works of Tulane Art Department Faculty, by Roger Green, The Times-Picayune /States Item, Nov. 11, 1985
Kohlmeyer Winner Finds Art in Clay, by R. D. Inside Tulane, vol. 3, #5, Jan. 1984
VIDEOS/FILM
Interview with a Vampire; Stalwart Productions; Spring 2022
Your Honor; CBS Films; original artwork
The Ravine; Produced by Goldfine; original artwork
Treme, TV Series, Season 1, 2 episodes; original artwork
Art Critic Doug MacCash visits artist Anita Cooke, videos, nola.com, 2009
Video Interview with artist Anita Cooke, by Jason Berry on Vimeo, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
Outdoor Sculptures on Campus, The WMU Permanent Art Collection, My WMU, youtube.com, Nov.11, 2015
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
LIGHTSOUNDS: Exterior ceramic tile relief mural, 28’l x 6.5 h.
Commissioned by Western Michigan University, Knauss Hall, 1989
LECTURES/WORKSHOPS
2024 Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art in conjunction with Searching for Gold
2022 Studio Waveland in conjunction with Equinox, Renegade Artist Collective
2021 Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art in conjunction with EdgeWorks
2018 Artist Talk in conjunction with Strata, Georgetown Art Center, Georgetown TX
2005 ArtSpeak, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA, Moderator: Doyle Gurtjetson
2000 ArtSpeak, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA, Moderator: Lin Emery
1989 Ceramics Workshop Taught by Anita Cooke, Central Michigan State University,
Mt. Pleasant, MI
1988 Lecture, Slide Presentation, Kalamazoo Institute of Art
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2008-21 Practicing Artist, New Orleans, LA
2005-08 Hurricane Katrina studio/home recovery
1990-05 Instructor, Private and group classes in Ceramics for children and adults,
Anita Cooke Studio, New Orleans, LA
1992 Instructor, Tulane University, University College, Beginning Ceramics
1990-91 Ceramics Instructor, Country Day Summer Creative Arts Program,
Country Day School, Metairie, LA
1988-89 Visiting Assistant Professor, Ceramics and 3-D Experience,
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
1984-88 Instructor, Ceramics and 3-Dimensional Foundations, Loyola Visual Arts Department, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
1986 Visiting Assistant Professor, Ceramics and 3-Dimensional Design, Stephen F. Austin
State University, Nacogdoches, TX
1986 Visiting Instructor, Delgado Community College, New Orleans, LA
1984-86 Instructor, Ceramics, Tulane University Department of A
1982-84 Full-time Graduate Teaching Assistant, Ceramics, Department of Art, Tulane
University, New Orleans, LA
1978 Instructor, Ceramics II, Canton Art Institute, Canton, OH
SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS/GRANTS
2020: Juror Award: 2020 Fletcher Exhibit of Socially and Politically Engaged Art; Juror
CarltonWilkinson; Reese Museum at East Tennessee State University
2020: Juror Award: Paper Works; Juror Robyn Philips-Pendleton; McNeese State University
2017 New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), Honored Artist, presented in conjunction with Love in the Garden, NOMA patron benefit
2006 KAT Grant, Juried by panel, monetary relief for artists affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Funded in part by the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation Relief Fund
2005: Idea Village Grant, juried, awarded to artists affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita
2005 Louisiana Fellowship Award, Louisiana Division of the Arts, Louisiana State Arts
Council, competitive monetary award
1988 Visiting Artist, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, North Edgecomb, ME
1982-84 Full-time Teaching Assistantship, Graduate School Teaching Assistant Fund, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, full tuition scholarship plus teaching stipend
1983 Eleanor B. Kohlmeyer Graduate Award in Studio Art; Monetary award presented annually to a second year graduate student, selected by the tenured art faculty
SELECT COLLECTIONS
Esther deJong and Harley Winer
Second Line Stages, Movie Studio, New Orleans, LA
Oil Tanking North America, Houston, TX
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
Aimee Farnet Siegel; New Orleans
Ralph and Susan Brennan, New Orleans
Thomas and Dathel Coleman, New Orleans
Dr. Nia Terezakis, New Orleans, LA
Mike and Tracy Dodd, New Orleans, LA
Charles Whited, New Orleans, LA
Paul and Deborah Parks, North Adams, Massachusetts
Linda Nichols, Honolulu, Hawaii
Charmaine Neville, New Orleans, LA
Charlotte Gordon, Portsmouth, Ohio
Dr. Henry Threefoot, New Orleans, LA
Thomas Mann, New Orleans, LA
Hal Lewis, Tallahassee, FL
Dan Piersol, New Orleans, LA
Lester Vial, New Orleans, LA
Nathan Mays
Tommy Lemann, New Orleans, LA
Beth Wheeler, New Orleans, LA
Stephanie Bruno, New Orleans, LA
Ray Manning Architecture, New Orleans, LA
Brooks Graham Architecture, New Orleans, LA
Lex Kelso
Carrie Bart Marks