American Artist & Writer
Jennie Cooley
“I think of myself as a left handed storyteller that can’t spell. My art swings between fine to fun art with color, curiosity and words and sticks like an ice box magnet with a smile” says American Artist and Writer Jennie Cooley during a recent interview. The prestigious Santa Fean magazine compares her work to that of Pop Icon Jenny Holzer. But Cooley feels her content is better stuck somewhere between Simon Rodia, Mary Corita Kent and Edward Kienholz.
The colorful Santa Fe artist is known as a visual narrative or almost outsider. Her work includes paintings, monotypes and recycle pieces from curious sculpture to zany necklaces made from salt and pepper shakers, found objects with glue, and is collected nationally and internationally.
After studying Art and Journalism in California and printmaking in New Mexico her achievements include numerous licensing contracts, TV projects, and gallery and museum shows within the Art and publishing worlds. Art Licensing Inc. represents her Signature lines. “My Friend & I”, her successful California art doll business launched a lifelong adventure in art. Direct licensing clients and projects include varied businesses from Sak’s Fifth Ave. and Walmart to PBS.
With many layers of storytelling, Cooley’s work has been shown at Art Week Miami during Basil, Expo New York, International Licensing Las Vegas, L.A. and New York Gift Shows and juried events and festivals in Washington, Arizona, Oregon, New York, and California. Frequent venues in New Mexico include The Santa Fe Recycle show where she was a founding artist and two of her own galleries on Canyon Road Santa Fe with studios in Eldorado New Mexico and Hansville Washington.
Her work is frequently featured in magazines, newspapers and online for pithy content and reckless style with misspelled words and color. The Artist as writer, created three newspapers in Washington State and is planning to publish her first novel, a Santa Fe based mystery in 2020. She also syndicates her column, “Aging Out”.
With too much coffee in the morning, and a dog that hates it when she swears, Cooley presently works from her home studio in Santa Fe. Current work shown locally is available at MeowWolf, Keep Contemporary Gallery, Weasel & Fitz in Madrid and a sassy little booth in Santa Fe’s Traveler’s Market. The artist was included by the Harwood Museum as one of the “Queens of Cool”, in the award winning show “Orale!” Her work has also been featured in The History Museum of New Mexico, The International Folk Art Museum and the Santa Fe Hispanic Museum.
2020 starts with more fun and a new body of work, “The History of New Mexico according to Dinosaurs” and a possible trunk show in Santa Fe’s biggest parking lot”