The James Glass Cooley Art Prize was established in 2016 by the Richards family in memory of her great uncle, Mr. James Glass Cooley, an Army veteran and art aficionado who represented the enriching and rewarding co-existence of military culture and art appreciation. This cash prize is awarded to the top cadets in each discipline of the visual arts each semester.
Born in Jefferson, Georgia, Mr. Cooley graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology and went to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority before serving in the Army Air Forces in Europe during World War II. He was a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy from 1948 until 1959, spent three years in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, employed by Aramco Oil, and then worked for Colony House until 1982, when he retired.
Mr. Cooley instilled an appreciation for the arts in his many nephews and nieces, including Mrs. Richards. He introduced them to the many sights and sounds of Washington, D.C., urging them to memorize the quotation inscribed at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial: “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”
Spring 2023
Fall 2022
Spring 2022
Fall 2021
Spring 2021
Fall 2020
Spring 2020
No Awards due to COVID-19
Fall 2019
Art Appreciation
Winner: Caroline Klauber
Honorable Mention: Jenifer Barbot
Honorable Mention: Lauren Sordo
Honorable Mention: Gunnar Finneseth
Honorable Mention: Andrew Gawryluk
Painting
Winner: Ian Butler
Winner: Catherine Rodriguez
Honorable Mention: Joseph Jenkins
Honorable Mention: Ryan Salter
Drawing
Winner: Amber Opp
Honorable Mention: Sean Cloherty
Honorable Mention: Donetta Battle
Wildlife Drawing
Winner: Michael Mewhorter
Honorable Mention: Alecia Koch
Graphic Design
Winner: Noah Clark
Photoshop
Winner: Braxton Jeffcoat
Honorable Mention: John Lassiter
Honorable Mention: Joseph Jenkins
Spring 2019
Art Appreciation
Winner: Matthew Beard
Winner: Dazjon Casto
Winner: Chun-Jung Chu
Winner: Joseph Jenkins
Honorable Mention: Leah Fenwrick-Wallace
Painting
Winner: Jenifer Barbot
Honorable Mention: Tierra Price
Honorable Mention: Erin Dromerhauser
Honorable Mention: Michael Mewhorter
Honorable Mention: Alecia Koch
Drawing
Winner: Brandi Duzz
Honorable Mention: Thomas Henderson
Honorable Mention: Devin DeWitt
Honorable Mention: Michael Hopersberger
Honorable Mention: John Sandifer
Photoshop
Winner: Jacob Harding
Honorable Mention: Rong Rong Jhang
Honorable Mention: Jamme Butler
Graphic Design
Winner: Cheng-Yu Chiu
Honorable Mention: Tierra Price
Honorable Mention: Octavia Wolfe
Honorable Mention: Caroline Klauber
Fall 2018
Art Appreciation
Winner: Adam Dykens
Honorable Mention: Jacob Choppa
Honorable Mention: Gareth Rasberry
Honorable Mention: Josh Wamsley
Honorable Mention: Rob Howard
Honorable Mention: Max Matsuoka
Honorable Mention: Brandi Duzz
Honorable Mention: Trey Saulnier
Honorable Mention: Ryan Salter
Drawing
Winner: Sierra Morris
Honorable Mention: Alexander Pusey
Honorable Mention: Dalton Helms
Honorable Mention: Ryan Jackson
Digital Illustration
Winner: Paul Suh
Honorable Mention: Bethany Reeves
Honorable Mention: Bryan Riddle
Photoshop
Winner: Marion Stallings
Honorable Mention: Gage Russell
Honorable Mention: Skylar Cooper
Honorable Mention: Todd Byrd
Spring 2018
Art Appreciation
Winner: Daniel Tallon
Winner: Arthur Ermakov
Honorable Mention: Trevor Getreu
Honorable Mention: Evan Lee
Honorable Mention: Robert Wilson
Honorable Mention: Natalie Rodgers
Painting
Winner: Mauro Mata
Honorable Mention: Justin Livesay
Honorable Mention: Gracie Barnes
Honorable Mention: Ryan-Michael Schmitt
Wildlife Drawing
Winner: Summerlyn Carruthers
Honorable Mention: Michael Hopersberger
Honorable Mention: Savanna Daley
Honorable Mention: Jackson Adams
Honorable Mention: Jaelyn Neely
Drawing
Winner: Jordan Eberle
Honorable Mention: Caroline Klauber
Honorable Mention: Hampton Causey
Fall 2017
Art Appreciation
Winner: Daniel Konsavage
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Mueller
Honorable Mention: Summerlyn Carruthers
Honorable Mention: JB Casey
Honorable Mention: Andrew Christensen
Painting
Winner: Claire Harrison
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Foster
Drawing
Winner: Summerlyn Carruthers
Honorable Mention: Drew Edwards
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Webster
Honorable Mention: Jennifer Barbot
Wildlife Drawing
Winner: Dillon Chow
Honorable Mention: Shy Phillips
Honorable Mention: Hailey Sobota
Honorable Mention: Jared Hair
Honorable Mention: Robert Cudd
Sculpture
Winner: William Baisden
Honorable Mention: JB Casey
Honorable Mention: Larry White
Spring 2017
Art Appreciation
Winner: Callah Davis
Honorable Mention: KC Braddock
Honorable Mention: Kevin MacDonald
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Foster
Honorable Mention: Ty Keefe
Painting
Winner: Sumerlyn Carruthers
Honorable Mention: Robert Bates
Wildlife Drawing
Winner: Oliver Culver
Honorable Mention: Martin Duane
Drawing
Winner: Robert Lamond (skull)
Honorable Mention: Robert Seigler
Advanced Drawing
Winner: William Baisden
Honorable Mention: Robert Williams
Fall 2016
Art Appreciation
Winner: Jackson Taylor
Honorable Mention: Sae-Eun Lee
Honorable Mention: Joshua Peed
Honorable Mention: Vince Powers
Honorable Mention: Frank Resch
Painting
Winner: Cole Abernathy
Honorable Mention: Matt Mazzuchelli
Drawing
Winner: William Baisden
Honorable Mention: Derek Massey
Scientific Drawing
Winner: Alexander Collette
Honorable Mention: Nic Shugarts
Wildlife Drawing
Winner: Robert Seigler
Honorable Mention: Frank Chapman
Honorable Mention: Robert Williams
Spring 2016
Art Appreciation
Winner: Pongvisit Intravichit
Honorable Mention: Brogan Ferry
Honorable Mention: Jacob Koch
Honorable Mention: Jason Park
Honorable Mention: Geoffery Mode
Honorable Mention: Michael McGraw
Drawing
Winner: Devon Carter Jr
Honorable Mention: Garen Griffin
Honorable Mention: Hunter Smith
Painting
Winner: Garen Griffin
Honorable Mention: Dominique Haydon
Fall 2015
Art Appreciation
Winner: Matthew Orth
Honorable Mention: Gage Bolden
Honorable Mention: Layton Meacham
Honorable Mention: Thomas Scerbo
Painting
Winner: Leisha Berry
Drawing
Winner: Russell Barnett
Honorable Mention: Dominique Haydon