Wilhelmina Grant Cooper
The found object artworks presented for this exhibition at Children’s Art Carnival Gallery celebrate the energy, beauty, and originality of women. Using discarded jewelry, Grant-Cooper celebrates the energy of the jubilant Josephine Baker with “Oh Baby” which is reminiscent of Baker’s famous banana dance.
Biography
Wilhelmina Grant-Cooper is a self-taught artist who transforms found objects into assemblage art. She uses the arts to nurture the creativity of adults through arts projects at senior centers and workshops at her art studio. Wilhelmina founded SISTAAH, Inc. an arts-based non-profit organization which seeks to facilitate access to early detection of cancer by connecting the underserved to free screening services information through community projects. Her self-published book, A Feeling of Fullness: Insights of a Divinely Guided Journey Beyond Breast Cancer chronicles the journey from the nearly undiagnosed cancer diagnosis at age 37 through the present as a community artmaker.
Artist Statement
The found object artworks presented for this exhibition at Children’s Art Carnival Gallery celebrate the energy, beauty, and originality of women. Using discarded jewelry, Grant-Cooper celebrates the energy of the jubilant Josephine Baker with “Oh Baby” which is reminiscent of Baker’s famous banana dance. More discarded jewelry brings forth “Euphonia” an unlikely pairing of the petite, queenly lady playing the medium-sized, mellower version of the tuba – the euphonium. Baker makes a reprise in “LaBaker” created from jewelry discards and found metal – an oil pan which had become but artfully eroded into the shape of what the artist determined to be the divinely feminine visage of the grand diva Josephine.
Artist Gallery
