Return to Experience
Sonni Cooper's Biography
aka Sandra Cooper
Sonni has had a number of careers, often simultaniously, but art was her first and her primary profession.
Galleries
Her paintings have been shown in major galleries in New York City, Santa Fe, Taos, Seattle, and Los Angeles as well as in numerous juried shows in both the U.S. and Canada. Galleries in Taos and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Austin, TX currently represent her.
Other Professional Careers
Sonni has always been a Renaissance woman, possessing many facets and talents, most conducted under the name Sonni Cooper.
As owner and President of Creative Enterprises she designed and produced educational multimedia projects, including the story, animation, illustrations, and documentation accompanying the computer programs.
She has danced and acted professionally on stage, in commercials, and in films. These include "Cheyenne Social Club" with Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart, "Gunfight" with Kirk Douglas, and "Flap" with Anthony Quinn.
As a publicist for Star Trek's William Shatner, she designed, produced, and distributed merchandising items, and was designer and editor of publications that were distributed worldwide.
She is also a published author. One of her science fiction novels, Black Fire (Simon and Schuster) was on the bestseller list and was chosen the best Star Trek novel published in the first 25 years of Star Trek. Her recent three novels are "Riding the Rainbow", the coming of age story of a contemporary Pueblo Indian youth, "Ankh", a fantasy concerninga contemporary woman and revived Egyptian gods, and "Xenovation", a sciene fiction book about a human-alien hybrid. She was a consultant-writer for the Star Trek films and has published Romance novels and written two soap opera novels for Proctor and Gamble's As the World Turns.
She was the Assistant Director of the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, founder of the Northwest Association on Indian Affairs, and developed culturally based science educational materials for Native American elementary school students.
Education
Sonni graduated from The Cooper Union Art School, NYC, with a major in sculpture, has a BFA from the University of Colorado (art history), and graduate school at the University of Illinois (painting). She also attended Adams State University, Alamosa, Colorado (graduate studies) with a major in Anthropology, specializing in the culture of the American Indian.
Art Activities
Her work is represented in museums in the United States, and Asia as well as in many private collections. She is currently working in acrylics, develooping a new technique involving multiple layers of acrylic films. She also creates nonobjective acrylic paintings under her maiden name, Lenore Kleeman.
Honors and Recognition
Sonni was selected International Woman of the Year in the field of Art, 1999/2000 and as one of the outstanding 2000 intellectuals of the 20th Century, by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. She is listed in the Dictionary of International Biography 2001, Outstanding People of the 20th Century, International Who's Who, Who's Who in America, Who's Who of Women, The International Biography, Who's Who in Executives and Professionals, Who's Who in Entertainment, Who's Who in the West, and Who's Who in Information Technology.
Past Galleries and Shows
El Gancho, Santa Fe, NM, April, 2011La Tienda, El Dorado, NM, February, 2011
Memories of Old Town Gallery, Alllbuquerque, NM
Four Sisters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Gallery 285, Santa Fe, NM
Windchime Champagne Gallery, Allbuquerque, NM
Austin Gallery, Austin, TX
Som? Gallery, Allbuquerque, NM
Wyrich Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
Robert Parsons Fine Art, Taos, NM
SanTaos Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Galerie Esteban, Santa Fe, NM
Reed Photo Fine Art, Denver, CO
Southwest Designs, Breckenridge, CO
Some Gallery, Albuquerque, NM, Oct., 2005
Miller Fine Art Gallery, Salado, TX
Grimshaw Fine Art, Taos, NM
Shipley Gallery of American Art, Taos, NM
Agnisiuh Gallery, Sedona, AZ, “Spirit Places” Feb. 2004
Durango International Fine Arts Gallery, Durango, CO, May 2004
Dinner for Two, Santa Fe, NM, April-May, 2004
Grimshaw Fine Art, Taos, NM
Art Art Bo-Bart, Taos, NM
Agnisiuh Gallery, Sedona, AZ
Savannah, Sedona, AZ
Casa de Artistas, Scottsdale, AZ
Durango International Fine Art, Durango, CO (closed)
Art Encounter, Las Vegas, NV
Hammons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM (closed)
Davida Marie Gallery, Santa Fe, NM (closed)
Alexandra Stevens Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Grunthal Gallery, Treasures of Taos. Taos, NM (closed)
Hand Artes Gallery, Truchas, NM
Hohn Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ
Convergence Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, Dec. 2000 – Feb. 2001
1st Annual Santa Fe Spring Auction, La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe, NM, May 15, 2001
El Dorado Art Tour, El Dorado, NM, May 19-20, 2001
Betty Ehart Center, Los Alamos, NM, Mar. 1-30, 2001
Grunthal Gallery, Taos, NM Dec., 2000 – Jan. – Mar., 2001
Convergence Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, Two Person Show, Dec., 2000 - Jan., 2001
Kokoman Circus, Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 2000 - June 2000
Cosmic Creatures and Places, Frameworks Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, Dec.1999 - Jan. 2000 One Person Show
Eldorado Studio Tour, Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 1999
Blue Door Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
Alameda Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Ankhram Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Blue Lake Gallery, Bellevue, Washington
Village Arts Gallery, New York City