Jessica Cooley
310 Pillsbury Dr. S.E.
Minneapolis,
MN
55455
Jessica A. Cooley (she/hers) has nearly two-decades of experience as a curator and scholar of disability art. Her work focuses on the histories, material conditions, and curatorial methods that shape what disability art is, how it is curated, and why it matters. Cooley holds a PhD in art history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She served as guest curator for the Ford Foundation Art Gallery (2020 – 2022) and was assistant curator for Davidson College’s Van Every/Smith Galleries (2006 – 2010). In her current role as guest curator at the University of Minnesota’s Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, she oversees the community-curated art exhibition, The Art of Disability Justice Now, and is co-developing a workshop with Xun Yu on best practices for University partners to engage the disability community.
Educational Background
- PhD: Modern and Contemporary Art, Disability Studies, Crip Theory, Museum and Curatorial Studies, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2021
- M.A.: Art History and Disability Studies, Temple University, 2012
- B.A.: Art History, Davidson College, 2005