Randy Cooper was born on February 12, 1927 in a white frame house on the banks of the Little River in Pulaski County. The eighth of nine children and a 1945 graduate of Radford High School, Randy enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve prior to the end of World War II. Randy graduated from Milligan College in Johnson City, Tenn. in 1952, where he was an illustrator for the college newsletter and yearbook. He also produced all artwork for Special Events and was awarded First Prize for the design of a float in the football “Burley Bowl” Parade in Johnson City.

In 1952, Randy married his college sweetheart, Sally Bellamy and the couple has three children and seven grandchildren. Randy has studied at the Boston Museum School of Fine Art and Chastain Art School in Atlanta, and he is a member of the Atlanta Artists Center. He has worked in a variety of media, including Pencil, Pen and Ink, Prisma color, Water Color and Acrylic. Randy has been a resident of Atlanta since 1968.

On Sept. 10, the Radford Heritage Foundation brought Randy and a selection of his works back to the New River Valley for an exhibition at the Glencoe Museum. Enjoy the works of this outstanding hometown artist through Oct. 10.