^{“Blackberry Pickers Sharing,” 2022, Ashley Norwood Cooper. Oil on panel. On view through May 14 at Fenimore Art Museum. (Photo courtesy of Fenimore Art Museum)}

Artist Examines Edge of Nature

‘Swarm’ is Intense, Colorful

By WRILEY NELSON
COOPERSTOWN

Internationally famed artist and Cooperstown resident Ashley Norwood Cooper visited the Fenimore Art Museum on April 26 to walk visitors through her exhibition, “Swarm.” The visit was part of the museum’s “Food for Thought” series of events, each of which features lunch and a lecture or tour by artists and museum employees. “Swarm” is a product of the pandemic, a culmination of Cooper’s interest in swarming shapes like bees, butterflies and even ghost rabbits. She is known for her eye-popping colors and strong, exuberant brushstrokes depicting quiet, often tongue-in-cheek domestic scenes.