Cooper Union

Nancy Davenport

Henry Wolf Chair in Photography (Fall 2021)

Nancy Davenport’s work has been exhibited at a variety of venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY, the National Gallery of Canada, the Liverpool Biennial, the Istanbul Biennial, the Sao Paulo Biennial and the Triennial of Photography & Video at the International Center of Photography in NY. She has been the recipient of several awards including the Rome Prize, the Mellon Foundation Humanities+Urbanism+Design (H+U+D) research award and the Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant. Her photographs have appeared in numerous publications including Artforum, October Magazine, Frieze Magazine, The New York Times, BLIND SPOT and "Vitamin Ph: New Perspectives in Photography" (Phaidon Press). Her recent book entitled “RENOVATION” was published by Cabinet Books, NY.

Nancy Davenport, from “RENOVATION”, artist book, 9x12”, 304 pages, Cabinet Books, D.A.P. NY

Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.
“My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”
From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.
Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.