SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019
Find Your Heart(h)
Solo exhibition of paintings and digital art August 24 – September 21, 2019 at cSPACE King Edward, Calgary, AB
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
Audacity Exhibition
Virtual exhibition presented by the Roaring Artist Gallery, April 1 – May 31, 2022.
2021
Ten Squared 2021
Group exhibition presented by the Federation of Canadian Artists, December 13-23, 2021 at the Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC
What Disability?!?
Group exhibition in celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities presented by the Outsiders and Others Gallery, December 3-19, 2021, Vancouver, BC
HOPE Exhibition
Virtual exhibition presented by the Roaring Artist Gallery, September 1 – October 31, 2021.
Bloom
Included in the online portion of the exhibition presented by the Federation of Canadian Artists, March 15 - 28, 2021, Vancouver, BC
All the Lights
Virtual exhibition presented by the treat gallery, February 10 – March 31, 2021, New York, NY
2020
Love Letter to Calgary
Virtual exhibition presented by the Pumphouse Theatre, October 13 – December 31, 2020, Calgary, AB
MASKED: Self Portraits of a Pandemic
Virtual exhibition presented by The Ikouii Creative, August 1 – October 6, 2020, Atlanta, GA
Emerging Artist Exhibit
Virtual exhibition presented by the Pumphouse Theatre in association with the IGNITE! Emerging Artist Festival, June 3 – August 31, 2020, Calgary, AB
EVERYBODY
Group exhibit of disability identified artists from across Alberta, January 16 - March 21, 2020 at Pumphouse Theatre, Calgary, AB
2017
“Can You See Us Vancouver?” art exhibition
Presented by Kickstart Disability Art & Culture November 6 – December 1, 2017 at the Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
GRANTS
2023
Explore and Create Program, Canada Council for the Arts for the concept to realization phase of the art exhibit, “The Extraordinary, Ordinary Nature of Interabled Love”
2022
Explore and Create Program, Canada Council for the Arts for the research phase of The Extraordinary, Ordinary Nature of Interabled Love
Project Grant Program - Individuals and Collectives, Calgary Arts Development and the City of Calgary for the research phase of The Extraordinary, Ordinary Nature of Interabled Love
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
Carlos Gonzalez and Leah Ison, Podcast Interview, Cerebral Palsy Alberta’s “My Life Without Limits Podcast”, Season 3, Episode 10: Love & Disability with Athena Cooper, May 12, 2023
Chris dela Torre, Interview, CBC Radio One Calgary “The Homestretch”, Calgary, AB, February 14, 2023
Lindsay, Aleatha. “Inside Their Studio: Deaf & Disabled Artists Reshaping the Arts”, The Ikouii Creative, 2022
Cooper, Athena. “I had to hire myself and spent much of my early adulthood living below the poverty line”, CBC News, October 5, 2022 (profile written for Disability Employment Awareness Month)
MacMurray, Heather. “Disabled Artists are Audaciously Creative”, Audacity Magazine, June 26, 2021
Correia, Cory. “Can You See Us Vancouver? Art exhibition presented for people using wheelchairs”, CBC News, November 9, 2017
EDUCATION
2021
Therapeutic Arts Practitioner Program
Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy (CIIAT)
2004
Diploma, Computer Animation
Ai the Art Institute of Vancouver-Burnaby
1995
Bachelor of Arts, Communications (“media studies”) Major
Simon Fraser University
AFFILIATIONS
Active Status Member, Federation of Canadian Artists
Member, CARFAC Alberta
Member, Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture
Member, Thrive Together Network online community for female, non binary and gender fluid visual artists