Kevin Cole

Kevin E. Cole was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1960. Growing up he played football and found that he enjoyed painting as a method of self-expression. Growing up as an African American in rural Arkansas, he also faced many challenges. Shown a tree near his home where young men were lynched by their ties, Cole was indelibly impacted.

He went on to graduate from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He also received an MA in Art Education and Painting from the University of Illinois and an MFA from the University of Northern Illinois. Upon graduation, Cole started his career teaching and painting at the University of Northern Illinois teaching drawing and painting. He soon moved to Georgia where he became an art teacher in the public school system of Atlanta. Known for his activism on behalf of art education in the public school system, Cole was selected "Super Teacher of the Year" by Turner Broadcasting.

Additionally, Cole has received many fellowships, grants and awards. In 1996, he received the Georgia State Artist of the Year Award. Articles have appeared regarding his work in publications such as, "The International Review of African American Art", "Upscale Magazine", and 'The Art Papers.'

Cole is best known for his abstract rendering of those same ties that he envisioned lynching those on their way to vote in his hometown of Pine Bluff, AK. Using mediums such as wood, aluminum and tar paper, Cole creates three-dimensional abstract assemblages by painting, etching and bending these mediums. He has exhibited both in solo shows across the United States as well as with other noteworthy artists such as Frank Stella, Sam Gilliam, Benny Andrews and Frank Bowling.