Russell Cook 

1002 Ave A 

Rome Ga, 30165 

404-580-1057 

baconandcoffee@gmail.com 

 

Education 

2014-16    MA Art History studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 

2007         MFA, Drawing, Painting and Printmaking, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 

2002         Graduate studies, California College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco, CA 

2000         BFA, Drawing and Painting, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 

1996         Undergraduate studies, Art Institute of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 

1995         UGA at Oxford Program, Keeble College, Oxford, England 

 

Professional Experience 

2018           Associate Professor of Art with Tenure, Georgia Highlands College, Cartersville, GA 

2017           Assistant Professor of Art with Tenure, Georgia Highlands College, Cartersville, GA 

2014-17    Assistant Professor of Art, Georgia Highlands College, Cartersville, GA 

2015           Co-owner, Blue Star Gallery, Jasper, Ga 

2002-17    Writer, Principal Performer, Little Country Giants  

2012           Ensemble Understudy, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, Alliance Theater, Atl, GA, 

2009-14   Full-time Lecturer in Art, Georgia Highlands College, Cartersville, GA 

                                 (courses taught: Drawing 1, Drawing 2, Art Appreciation) 

2008-09   Full-time Instructor of Art, Georgia Highlands College, Cartersville, GA  

2008           Staff Writer, Burnaway.org, art reviews and criticism, Atlanta, GA 

2007           Part-time Instructor of Art, Georgia Highlands College, Rome, GA 

2005-07   Graduate Teaching Assistant, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 

                         (Instructor of Record: Drawing 1, Drawing 2, 2D Design) 

2005           Lab Assistant in Photography,  Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 

2004-06   Art Editor, Writer, Rome Unscene Alternative Weekly, Rome, GA 

2004-05   Drawing Instructor, Coosa Valley Technical College, Rome, GA 

2005           Foundryman, Mark Hopkins Sculpture Studio, Rome, GA 

2001-02    Assistant Artist, Deljou Art Group, Atlanta, GA  

 

Awards/Honors 

Kinetic Communications Signature Award, Magic City Arts Connection, Birmingham, Al, 2017 

Judge’s Choice, Pin-Up, Georgia Museum of Contemporary Art, Atlanta, Ga, 2011   

Nominated for Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant, Georgia State University, 2007 

Reader’s Choice: Best Local Traditional Folk Act, Little Country Giants, Creative Loafing Atlanta   Atlanta, Ga, 2005, 2006 

Emerging Artist of the Year: Little Country Giants, Rome Area Council for the Arts, Rome, Ga, 2006 

Gold Prize, Decatur Fine Arts Festival, Decatur, Ga 2002 

Presidential Scholar, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga, 2000 

Deans List, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga, 2000 

Lamar Dodd School of Art Award, Yancey Robertson Memorial Competition, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga, 2000 

 

Selected Exhibitions 

2020                 Embodiment II, Moon Gallery, Berry College, Rome, Ga 

2019                 Inspiring Artists, Harbin Clinic Gallery, Rome, Ga 

2019                 Russell Cook, Harris Arts Center, Calhoun, Ga 

2019                 Works on Paper, Lowe Mill Galleries, Huntsville, Al 

2018                 Finsterfest, Paradise Garden, Pennville, Ga 

2018                 Magic City Arts Connection, Birmingham, Al 

2017                 Smooth Down the Noise, Solo Show, Georgia Highlands College Gallery 

2017                 Disarrangement of Form, Solo Show, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, Ga 

2017                 Magic City Arts Connection, Birmingham, Al 

2016                 Moss Rock Festival, Hoover Al 

2016                 FinsterFest, Paradise Garden, Pennville, Ga 

2015                 Regional Art Show, Harris Arts Center, Calhoun Ga 

2015                 Opening Exhibition, Blue Star Gallery, Jasper Ga 

2014                 Collage @ (SCENE), (SCENE) metrospace, East Lansing, MI 

2014                 85 Years, 85 Artists, Menlo College, Atherton, CA 

2013                 First Place Losers, Solo Exhibition, Georgia Highlands College Gallery 

2011                 Pin-Up, Georgia Museum of Contemporary Art 

2010                 Russell Cook, Solo Exhibition, Eyedrum, Atlanta, GA 

2007                 Fists of Foam and Fury, MFA Thesis Exhibition, GSU 

2006                 Configuration, 11 Lindbergh Street, Rome, GA   

2005                 Spring Show, Whitespace, Atlanta, GA 

                         Russell Cook and Myrtice West, Rome Area Council for the Arts 

2004                 Eternal Spring, Rome Area Council for the Arts, Rome, GA 

2003                 Viv and a Movie Art & Film Show, San Francisco, CA 

                         Arts on Parade, Benicia, CA 

2002                 Eclectic Electric, Lyndon House Arts Center, Athens, GA 

 

Collaborative Works (Music, Film, and Theater) 

2019                Live in The Library, Russell Cook & the Sweet Teeth, writer/performer

2019                To Kingdom Come, film score, (writer/performer- I Will Always Be Around) 

2016                Dead Reckoning, Little Country Giants, writer/performer 

2013                Blind Tiger: The Legend of Belltree Smith, film soundtrack and performance 

2012                Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, Ensemble Understudy, Alliance Theater, Atlanta, GA,                      

                         (premier production by Stephen King, John Mellencamp, and T-Bone Burnett)  

2012                60 Grit, Little Country Giants, Cowboy Angel Records, writer/performer  

2012                Child’s Play, Anthony-Masterson short film, performer 

2011                Ghost Brothers of Darkland County pre-production workshop, Alliance Theater 

2011                Grow!, Anthony-Masterson documentary, 9 song film score 

2011                Esposito, Vanguard Cinema, soundtrack  

2010                Pushin’ Up Daisies, film score, (writer/performer-Buckaby Crenshaw) 

2009                Fists of Foam and Fury, Little Country Giants, writer/performer 

2007                Freelance, film score, (writer/performer-More Than Everything To Me) 

2007                Sing Pretty For The People, Little Country Giants, writer/performer,  

2005                Breaking Hearts And Living Free, Little Country Giants, writer/performer 

2002                Just For This Song’s Time, Little Country Giants, writer/performer 

 

Selected Performances 

Alliance Theater, Atlanta, GA 

Americana Folk Festival, Dickson, TN 

Americana Music Conference, Nashville, TN 

Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta, GA 

Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA 

Arts on Main Street Summer Concert Series, Scottsville, KY 

Athens Americana Festival, Athens, GA 

AthFest, Athens, GA 

Barking Legs Theater, Chattanooga, TN 

Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival, Bristol, TN 

Cafe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY 

Celebration South Festival, Statesboro, GA 

Chiaha Arts Festival, Rome, GA 

Clementine, Harrisonburg, VA 

Club Passim, Camden, MA 

Eddie’s Attic, Decatur, GA 

First Friday Folk Series, Savannah, GA 

Folk Alliance, Memphis, TN 

Gem Theater, Calhoun, GA 

Georgia Public Broadcasting, Mountain Music and Medicine Show 

Georgia State University Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA 

Guilford College, Greensboro, NC 

Harris Arts Center, Calhoun, GA 

High Museum of Art, Atlanta Ga 

International String Band Festival, Calhoun, GA 

Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Northpoint, AL 

Legacy Fine Arts Festival, Cartersville, GA 

Nightfall Concert Series, Chattanooga, TN 

North Georgia Folk Festival, Athens, GA 

Pete’s Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY 

Pickathon, Portland, OR 

Red Clay Theater, Duluth, GA 

Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY 

Rome Area History Museum, Rome, GA 

Rome City Auditorium, Rome, GA 

The 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA 

 

Artist Talks and Lectures 

“Pennville’s Paradise”(on Howard Finster), Harbin Clinic Gallery, Makervillage, Rome, GA 2019 

Artist’s Talk, Lowe Mill Galleries, Huntsville, AL, 2019 

Artist’s Talk, Graduate Symposium on the Human Condition, Georgia State University, 2006 

 

Publications and Press 

Chattanooga Times Free Press, December 10, 2019 

Calhoun Times, April 26, 2019 

Adult Swim Bloodfeast, performance, Sept. 19, 2017 

Best of the North Georgia Mountains, October issue, 2016 

Highlander Magazine, Faculty Spotlight, Spring 2016 

Highlander Magazine, Staff Spotlight, Spring 2015 

Exhibition Catalog, 85 Years, 85 Artists, Menlo College, Atherton CA, 2014 

Old Red Kimono Literary Journal, Visual Art, 2012, 2013, 2014 

Flagpole Magazine, Athens GA, Calendar Picks, July 10, 2013 

The Pulse, Little Country Giants: Storytellers in the Southern Tradition, Feb 2013 

WUTC Radio, Chattanooga, TN, interview and performance, August 17, 2012 

WUOG Radio, Athens, GA, interview and performance, August 15, 2012 

WDVX Radio, Knoxville, TN, interview and performance, December 1, 2006 

WREK Radio, Atlanta, GA, interview and performance, May 3, 2005 

WRAS Radio, Atlanta, GA, interview and performance, July 21, 2005 

Georgia Trend magazine, March 2005, Exhibition announcement with photograph  

 

Professional and Community Service 

2018-20        Board of Directors, Paradise Garden Foundation, Summerville, GA 

2018             Juror, Floyd County Governor’s Honors Program in Art 

2017-18        Pre-Tenure Review Committee, Georgia Highlands College 

2016-17        Statute and Faculty Affairs Committee, Georgia Highlands College 

2015-17        Steering Committee, Georgia String Band Festival, Calhoun, GA 

2015             Summer Concert Series Committee, Harris Arts Center, Calhoun, GA 

2014             Entertainment Coordinator, Fairmount Folk Art Fest, Fairmount, GA 

2013-15        Assessment Coordinator, Humanities Team, Georgia Highlands College 

2013             Spring Papermaking Workshop for GreenHighlands Student Organization 

 

Professional Affiliations/Memberships 

College Art Association (CAA), New York, NY 

High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA 

Harris Arts Center, Calhoun, GA 

Americana Music Association, Nashville, TN 

 

References 

 

Jonathan Hershey, Ph.D. 

Dean, Humanities Division 

Professor of English 

Director, GHAME Initiative and Brother 2 Brother 

Georgia Highlands College 

jhershey@highlands.edu 

706.368.7629 office / 678.872.8098 fax 

706.506.4625 cell 

 

Art Rosenbaum 

Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia 

Lamar Dodd School of Art 

420 Jackson St. 

Athens, GA 30602 

706-548-7730 

artspark@uga.edu 

 

Tim Flowers 

Foundations Coordinator, Senior Lecturer 

Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design 

Georgia State University 

PO Box 4107 

Atlanta, GA 30302-4107 

404-413-5248 

trflowers@gsu.edu