BIO | ARTIST STATEMENT

Courtney Cotton
(b. 1968) she/her

I am a professional artist with over 28 years of experience spanning the fine arts, architecture and design, and the nonprofit sector. As both a mentor and collaborator within the creative community, I bring a unique blend of business acumen and artistic vision to every endeavor. With a hands-on, solutions-driven approach, I have led projects from concept through completion, overseeing art direction, project management, and stakeholder engagement with care and commitment. As my practice has evolved, I have embraced the challenge of creating public art, expanding the scale and impact of my work. I am currently in the process of securing certified woman-owned business status.

I live and work in Landrum, South Carolina, and Boulder, Colorado. Born in Pennsylvania, I was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of South Carolina with a concentration in Interior Design. I also pursued additional studies at the Rhode Island School of Design and Queens College.

My current public art project, The Circle Conversation, explores how art can foster healing, connection, and dialogue by integrating sculpture, technology, and neuroscience. Inspired by lived experience, the project reflects my commitment to creating spaces that encourage presence, conversation, and belonging. My interests include public art, the NeuroArts Blueprint, and the transformative potential of art to elevate the human experience. Beyond the studio, I pursue a courageous, curious, and creative life through reading, travel, and time spent outdoors.

The central themes of my practice are presence, well-being, human connection, and transformation. Through increasingly simplified visual language, I explore how art can slow perception, deepen observation, and create space for reflection and restoration. Whether through contemplative paintings inspired by Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) or immersive public sculpture, I investigate the intersection of art, neuroscience, and lived experience, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue while reminding us of our shared humanity.

Awards I have received include an invitational residency at Rule Gallery in Marfa, Texas, second place awards in both Miami and Steamboat Springs, and the Technical Brilliance Award for sculpture from the Art Students League of Denver. My painting La Danza was published in La Danza Cosmica, a book by Martin Huerta, Santiago, Chile and  my painting Landing was awarded best in show for the Destination exhibit at The Littleton Museum.

I am represented by Candita Clayton Gallery in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and New London, New Hampshire; Red Rocks Fine Art in Denver, Colorado; SeeSaw Gallery in Englewood, Colorado; and Lesesne Design in Tryon, North Carolina.

Before becoming a full-time artist, I worked in architecture and design, an experience that continues to inform my approach to public art. My background in design thinking and project management strengthens my ability to collaborate with municipalities, art administrators, landscape architects, fabricators, and multidisciplinary teams to bring ambitious public art projects to life.

As private collectors, businesses, designers, and institutions continue to support my work, my artistic path reflects an unflinching willingness to experiment. Each new body of work is an invitation to simplify, explore, and discover new ways art can cultivate presence, connection, and wonder.