Courttney Alexander Cooper is a 21 year old, autistic young man who is currently a student in Miss Cheryl Beardslee's Multihandicapped (MH) Special Education class at Western Hills High School. With his classmates, he has attended mainstream art, choir, work study and physical education classes. Courttney travels with his class to various sites throughout the community such as the Contemporary Art Center, Taft Theatre, Arnoff Center, Tower Place, Fountain Square and the public library. In addition, Courttney and his class have received various recognition awards for their weekly volunteer work at the American Red Cross.  

 

Courttney is a natural athlete with tremendous ability in many sports. With his class, he participates in Special Olympic events such as snow skiing, tennis, basket ball, roller-skating, soccer and golf, Courttney's T-shirt design for the Special Olympics Lazarus/Federated Corporate Olympic Games held May 8, 1997, on Fountain Square won first prize. T-shirt design entry submissions were solicited from all of Hamilton County. Courttney's 1998 and 1999 designs for the official Hamilton County Special Olympics T-shirts also won first prize, Courttney was among three art students in all of Greater Cincinnati chosen to participate in the Junior League's Art in the Garden Reception at the Hart Production Home and Garden Show held at the Convention Center on February 27, 1997. Courttney worked on several sketches throughout the reception. At the end of the evening, his artwork was then auctioned off to benefit the Junior League of Cincinnati. Courttney had a pencil sketch that he did on display at the Hamilton County Courthouse throughout the month of January, 1997 as part of a juried art exhibition. The sketch was submitted by his art teacher and judged among the entries of his regular education peers without any mention ever being made of his special education status.  

 

January 9, 1998, Courttney participated in his first art opening held in cooperation with Betsy Cunningham at the York Street Cafe in Newport, Kentucky. In February 1998, his sketch of Malcolm X won first prize in the Ferguson Road Kroger's African American History Month art contest. In February 1999, his sketch of Dr. Martin Luther King was recognized by Krogers. On April 22, 1998, and April 23, 1999, Courttney's artwork was featured at the annual Learning for Life Recognition Receptions. His fall design for the 1999 Seasons of Ohio Note cards was selected among entries submitted state wide. Courttney was invited to attend the Very Special Arts Ohio Recognition Reception held at the residence of Governor and Mrs. Bob Taft on May 20, 1999.  

 

Courttney is currently working part time at the York Street Cafe working for Betsy Cunningham. Betsy is an artists and has been a big help He has one younger brother and lives at home with his family. Courttney has studied sign language for a number of years and knows many basic signs. He likes to play music on his keyboard and is a big Country and Western fan. He enjoys housework, going to the movies and is memorizing the telephone book. His calendar skills are outstanding! Courttney can give the day of the week for any date. He especially likes telling people what day of the week they were born on and never forgets a birthday.  

Contacts are Aunt Dawn Brown, Jacklyn Williamson grandmother  

 

Once a month Courttney is on "In Focus" cable show sponsored by Robert Harris and  

Courttney draws the guests while they are being interviewed by Robert. Throughout the show the camera cuts to Courttney drawing.  

 

For more information, or to commission Courttney to do a specific piece of artwork,  

contact Cheryl Beardslee (Courttney Cooper's former teacher) online at Caringteachr@aol.com or
Western Hills HS, 363-8893

More About Courttney at:

http://visionariesandvoices.com/courttneycooper.html