Karen Cooper
Curriculum Vitae

karencooper@karencooperpaintings.com
httpkarencooperpaintings.com
1033 Summer St, Grinnell, Ia 50112
712 346 8347

Education
-University of Nebraska
-recent workshops Dan Grazziano, Michele Byrne, Kim English, Marc Hanson, Dawn Whitelaw, Henryk Ptasiewicz
-study with Anna Kushnareva

Exhibits and Recognitions
2024 selected for solo show at Octagon art center, Ames Iowa for 2024 exhibit year.
2023
-Painting juriedaccepted to Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibit., Beverly McNeil Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama
-Painting juriedawarded top 100 status, Plein Air Salon, June 2023.
-Painting juriedaccepted to RepreSENSATIONAL 2023 A National Juried Exhibition, Heartland Art Club, Kirkwood, Missouri. StLouis
-Juriedaccepted with 2 paintings to Of This EarthA Plein Air Exhibition, University of Indiana Kokomo Gallery
-Juriedaccepted to Paint Grand Traverse 2023.
-Juriedaccepted with 3 paintings to Celebrate The Arts, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa. 3 paintings sold.
-Juriedaccepted with 1 painting to 2023 Octagonal, Octagon Art Center, Ames, Iowa.
-Juriedaccepted with 1 painting to 2023 Small Gems, Rice Gallery, Overland Park, Kansas
-Juriedaccepted with 1 painting to Joysome, Dairy Arts Center, Boulder, Colorado.
-Richeson75 Small Works, 2 paintings received merit award.
2022
-AIS All member online juried exhibit 2022.
-Juriedaccepted to EnPleinAirTexas 2022. EPAT is a top tier international plein air competition. 6 paintings sold at exhibit.
-1st place award, main event, Bluff Strokes Plein Air, Dubuque, Iowa. Award painting plus 3 others sold at exhibit.
-Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, Wisconsin, ‘BIG little Art Show’ juried gallery show, 1 painting juriedaccepted
-CTAC Crooked Tree Arts Center Traverse City Michigan, ‘Small Worlds’ Juried Exhibit Of Small Works. 1 painting juriedaccepted.
-Painting Grinnell. Solo exhibit of a plein air look at Grinnell. Grinnell Arts Center, Grinnell, Iowa. 14 paintings sold
-6th Annual AIS American Impressionist Society Impressions Small Works Showcase, WilderNightengale Gallery, Taos, New Mexico. 1 painting juriedaccepted, sold at exhibit.
-1st Richard Dutton Honorary Award, Paint Van Buren County Plein Air. Keosauqua, Iowa. 2 paintings sold.
-Richeson75 Landscapes, Seacapes, and Architecture, one painting juriedaccepted to the finalist round, a second painting received meritorious selection
-Geneva Illinois Arts Festival, Outstanding 2D artist award
-Missouri Valley Impressionist Society 11th National Juried Exhibit, 1 painting juriedaccepted into exhibit, Cathy Kline Gallery, Parkville, Missouri
-2022 AIS Members Online, one painting accepted
-Cityscapes Juried Show 2022 City Life - Night Day The Rice Gallery of Fine Art, one painting accepted.
2021
-Solo exhibit, Okoboji Painted, A Plein Air Look At Iowa’s Greatest Lake. Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa. 35 paintings sold.
-Think Big Juried exhibit, Cathy Kline gallery, Parkville, Missouri. Two paintings juried into exhibit, second best in show award.
-MVIS Missouri Valley Impressionist Society, Albrecht-Kemper Museum Of Art, 10th annual national juried exhibit. One painting juried into exhibit.
-Art League of Hilton Head Biennale 2021. One painting juried into exhibit.
-Academic Artists Association Exhibition of Traditional Realism. One painting juried into exhibit.
-Richeson 75 Small Works, Meritorious Selection
-Working From Home. Juried exhibit, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa. Three paintings juried into exhibit.
-6x6. Juried exhibit, Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California. Two paintings juried into exhibit.
-Midwest Regional Exhibition. Juried exhibit, Artlink Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana. One painting juried into exhibit.
-Artcetera. Juried exhibit, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, Iowa. One painting juried into exhibit. One painting sold.
-Augusta Plein Air. Augusta, Missouri plein air paint out and exhibitsale. Two honorable mention awards, 6 paintings sold.
-Paint Davis County. Bloomfield, Iowa plein air paint out and exhibitsale. 3rd best of show award, one painting sold.

2020
-American Impressionist Society juried small works exhibit, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas. One painting juried into exhibit.
- Southwind Gallery Small Wonders Exhibit, Topeka, Kansas. Two paintings juried into exhibit.
-Missouri Valley Impressionist Society 9th National Juried Exhibit, Southwind Gallery, Topeka, Kansas. One painting juried into exhibit.
-Summer of the Arts featured artist
-Fav15 August Bold Brush Painting Competition
-St Louis Art Guild juried exhibit, Clearly Human IV, St Louis, Missouri. Three paintings juried into exhibit.
-Dickinson Law Gallery Exhibit, Des Moines, Iowa, four paintings accepted to exhibit
-Hilliard Gallery juried exhibit, Contemporary Figurative, Kansas City, Missouri. One painting juried into exhibit.
-Fav 15 March Bold Brush Painting Competition
-Fav15 February Bold Brush Painting Competition
-Artsy Shark, featured artist, March edition2019

Other exhibits and events
2022
-Augusta Plein Air, 9 paintings sold
2021
-Fresh Paint. Amana, Iowa plein air paint out and exhibitsale. Two paintings sold.
-Paint VanBuren County. Keosaqua, Iowa plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
2020
-Studies To Studio, Okoboji. preparatory work for a solo show June 17-August 14, 2021, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa. 48 plein air studies created.
-Paint Van Buren County. Keosaqua, Iowa plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
2019
-Pearson Lakes Art Center Juried Biennial Exhibition, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa, two paintings accepted to exhibit
-MVIS Missouri Valley Impressionist Society 8th Annual Juried Exhibit, Albrecht-Kemper Museum, St Joseph, Missouri, two paintings accepted to show
-Art Of The Heartland, Mena Gallery, Mena, Ak one painting accepted
-‘Finding Inspiration Monet to Matisse’ juried exhibit, QuadCityArts, Rock Island, Illinois. Three paintings accepted into exhibit.
-Solo exhibit, 2010 Gallery, Kansas City
-Regional exhibit, Grinnell Art Center, Grinnell, Iowa, 15 paintings included
-2nd in show award, Waukee Arts Festival, Waukee, Iowa
-juried exhibit, Jones Gallery “Childrens Mercy Hospital Kansas City Benefit Art Show” 2 paintings accepted to show
-5th Annual Figures Faces, Fusion Gallery, finalist
-Landscapes, ColorsOfHumanityGallery, two paintings accepted
-FAV15 June 2019 BoldBrush Painting competition
-FAV15 January 2019 BoldBrush Painting competition
-Augusta Plein Air. Augusta, Missouri plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
-Paint The Point. Mineral Point, Wisconsin, plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
-Central City Plein Air. Central City, Colorado, plein air paint out and exhibitsale. 4 paintings sold.
-Bluff Strokes. Dubuque, Iowa, plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
-Paint Marceline. Marceline, Missouri, plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
-Fresh Paint. Amana, Iowa, plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
-2nd best in show award. West Liberty Plein Air. West Liberty, Iowa, plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
2018
-2nd best in show award. Fresh Paint. Amana, Iowa. Plein air paint out and exhibitsale.
-MVIS Missouri Valley Impressionist Society 7th Annual Juried Exhibit, two paintings accepted to show
-featured artist at ArtOnThePrairie, Perry, Iowa
-solo show, LaPoste, Perry, Iowa
-three person exhibit Color Of Spring, gallery exhibit, Cornerhouse Gallery, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
-FAV15 February 2018 BoldBrush Painting competition
-FAV15 September 2018 BoldBrush Painting competition
-FAV15 November 2018 BoldBrush Painting competition
-Paint Van Buren County. Keosaqua, Iowa plein air paint out and exhibitsale. Purchase award.
-Brushy Creek. Plein air paint out, Kansas City, Missouri.
2017
-duo exhibit, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, Illinois
-solo exhibit, Octagon Arts, Ames, Ia
-group exhibit, Sorokin School, Lipetsk, Russia
-Wanda Skogerboe juried exhibit, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Ia
-Fav15 Bold Brush March 2017 Painting Competition
-Real People 2017 juried exhibit, Old Courthouse Art Gallery, Woodstock, Il

2016
-Pushkin Festival. Plein air paint out. Korenevshchino, Russia.
-Creatures Great And Small, juried exhibit, OTLAG Gallery, Dubuque, Iowa. Two paintings accepted into exhibit.
-GALEX 2016, juried exhibit, Galesburg Civic Arts Center, Galesburg, Illinois. One painting accepted into exhibit.
-FAV15 January 2016 BoldBrush Painting competition
2015
-Everybody Dance, group exhibit, a collaboration of Quad City Arts, with Ballet Quad Cities
-Art EMC 2015, juried selection for permanent collection. Painting purchased and installed in EMC Insurance corporate gallery.
-group exhibit, charcoal pencil portraits from life drawing group participants, Lipetsk, Russia
-Women’s Work 2015, juried exhibit, Old Courthouse Art Gallery, Woodstock, Illinois. Painting exhibited sold.

2014
- Hobo Picnic. Plein air paint out, Lipetsk, Russia.
-Solo show, Greene Bean Coffee, Jefferson, Iowa
2013
-Three person show, Urbandale Library Gallery space, Urbandale, Iowa
2012
-Living Relaxed, a solo showing of 36 paintings at the gallery space of Iowa State Memorial Union, Ames, Iowa
-Solo show, All Ability Cycles, Jefferson, Iowa
2011
-Figurative, a six-person show, Deerpath Art League, Lake Forest, Illinois
-Octagon Juried Exhibit, Octagon Arts Center, Ames, Iowa, one painting juried into exhibit
-Galex 45, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, Illinois, juried art competition, one painting selected for exhibit
2010
-Best Of Show, Linn Creek Arts Festival, Marshalltown, Iowa
-Solo show, Wine Bar Art Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa
-Solo show, Clear Lake Art Center, Clear Lake, Iowa
-Galex 44, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, Illinois, juried art competition, two paintings selected for exhibit
2009
-Solo show, State of Iowa Library, Des Moines, Iowa
2008
-Wanda Skogerboe Exhibit, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa, one painting selected for exhibit
-Featured artist “The Daily Palette”, University of Iowa
-Go Figure, Three person show, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa
-Three person show Studio Influence WineBarArtGallery, ArnoldsPark, Iowa
2007
-Solo show, Sanford Art Gallery, Cherokee, Iowa
-Wanda Skogerboe Exhibit, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa, two paintings selected for exhibit
2006
-Invitational Four Person Show, Deer Path Gallery, Lake Forest, Illinois
2005
-Maestros and Masterpieces Exhibit, Quad City Art Center, Rock Island, Illinois
2004
-solo show, FairfieldArtGuild, Fairfield, Iowa
-award of merit, BoulderArtFair, Boulder, Colorado
-award of merit, ValleyJunctionArtFair, West DesMoines, Iowa
2002
-3rd place award ‘MissouriRiverUntamed’ Bismarck Art and Galleries Association, Bismarck, North Dakota
2000
-Honorable Mention, IowaArtsFestival, Iowa City, Iowa
-CommitteeChoiceAward, SnakeAlleryArtFair, Burlington, Iowa
-5JudgesChoiceAward, SnakeAlleyArtFair, Burlington, Iowa

Collections
Works held in private, corporate and charitable collections in Canada, England, and the United States including
-EMC Insurance, Des Moines, Iowa
-Methodist Women’s Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska
-Spencer Hope Church, Spencer, Iowa
-Camp Foster YMCA, Okoboji, Iowa

Gallery experience
- Southwind Gallery, Topeka, Kansas gallery closed fall 2021
- 2010 Gallery, Prairie Village, Kansas not active
- Cornerhouse Gallery, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – gallery closed summer 2020
- Wine Bar Gallery, Okoboji, Iowa 2008-2013 gallery closed fall 2013
- Dundee Gallery, Omaha, Nebraska 2009-2013 gallery closed fall 2013


Memberships
Oil Painters of America, juried associate member
American Impressionist Society, member
Heartland Art Club, Kirkwood, Missouri

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