Valerie A. Cooper: The Consultant Redefining How Institutions Value and Acquire Art
VALERIE A. COOPER - Career Journey from Morgan State to PICTURE THAT, LLC with a Stop on Wall Street - "Picture That!"
By Pauline W. Mansfield
The clever name "PICTURE THAT" encapsulates Valerie A. Cooper's diverse career journey as President and CEO of Picture That, LLC, a full-service fine arts consultancy and appraisal firm. With an undergraduate degree in mental health and a minor in computer science from Morgan State University, a Historically Black University in Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate degree in Business from Columbia University in New York City, Ms. Cooper's career began at The Travelers in Hartford, Connecticut. It ended at Goldman Sachs, a global Bank and Investment Firm. Her journey then transitioned into a meaningful business that champions cultural inclusion through art.
After fifteen years at Goldman Sachs, Ms. Cooper advanced from roles in Compensation Systems within Human Resources and transitioned to developing Counterparty Risk Management systems for the Technology department. This phenomenal opportunity in the Technology department allowed Ms. Cooper to build what Goldman Sachs needed to ensure adherence to Regulatory Reporting practices and to mitigate counterparty risks — i.e., the risks within a company's family tree between the parent company and its subsidiaries. After leading the Risk Management software development teams across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Ms. Cooper's final role as Vice President of Diversity at Goldman Sachs led her to create a business that bridged her background in technology with her introduction to the art world. By now, she had developed an interest in fine art and would often frequent major NYC museums for business networking purposes.
Unexpectedly, in 1992, Ms. Cooper was approached to become an art distributor. It was the last thing she ever expected to do. She never wanted to sell anything! However, impressed by the initial presentation when hosting a Home Art show at her Connecticut residence, she decided to give it a try and began hosting home art shows for others on weekends. In addition to learning about the art, what was most compelling was learning about her African American culture and the commonalities between her own personal life experiences and what the artists were painting. There was an instant, unexpected, magical connection to her roots. This feeling of being connected to these artists through our African American culture was life-changing.
Her sister, stunned by the fact that Valerie was selling anything, asked, "You're going to sell art?! Picture That!" However, Ms. Cooper soon had a vision to start her own company, not only selling art, but also serving as an art consultant for corporations and other institutional clients. She needed a name for her LLC, and her sister had, inadvertently, just given her the perfect one, PICTURE THAT, LLC.
Ms. Cooper's transition from her technology background at Goldman Sachs to founding her own art consulting company was a natural one. She felt she was just wired to make it work, having grown up in a household where her dad was a full-time entrepreneur and her mom supported the business. She founded Picture That, LLC as a tool for cultural awareness and inclusion, offering art consultation, curation, appraisals, and graphic design services to institutional clients nationwide. She is an accredited member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA). With the creation of this firm, she was committed to cultural inclusion as a business strategy, using the technology skills she acquired on Wall Street.
One of Picture That's notable initiatives was the Diversity in Patent Law Art Exhibition, which featured art collections from Historically Black Colleges and Universities with Law Schools. This exhibition not only raised funds for scholarships but also provided a platform for emerging artists to showcase their work. Through her company's initiatives, Ms. Cooper has positioned Picture That, LLC as more than just an art consulting firm, but also a catalyst for social change. She has demonstrated how art can be a powerful medium of storytelling, education, and inspiration, making a significant impact on the corporate world, institutions, and the community.
Inhale by Linda Leviton at Sacred Heart University's Jack Welch Business School
The Picture That, LLC's client list includes high-profile corporations such as the Atlanta Housing Authority, General Electric, Travelers, and Yale New Haven Health System, among others, that promote cultural awareness and wellness. Art purchases by healthcare institutions have increased due to their impact in reducing stress levels and promoting the healing and wellness of both employees and patients, according to evidence-based design studies. In addition to its aesthetic value, corporations and healthcare institutions have come to understand the financial, social, and healing benefits of fine art.
Having matriculated at an HBCU, Ms. Cooper is committed to providing exposure and accessibility to the art collections of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, given that they remain steadfast stewards of the art treasures they have acquired since the 1800s. She currently leads the HBCU Digital Art Project (H-DAP), a groundbreaking technology-based art history project that provides digital access to HBCU permanent Fine Art collections nationwide. H-Dap also works to correct the omission of Black artists from the American art canon — gifted artists who HBCUs have stewarded since the 1800s — thus advocating for the preservation of their artwork.
Ms. Cooper hopes to crisscross the United States to visit as many of the 107 HBCU colleges and universities as possible, view their art collections, learn about unique African American history, and help HBCU Representatives advance H-Dap initiatives. Ms. Cooper described her recent trip to Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the first HBCU in the U.S., founded in 1837 for free African Americans, as an enlightening and inspiring experience. She described this campus as serene and beautiful, with a Harriet Tubman "free at last" kind of effect.
Art Storage at The University Museum at Texas Southern (photo by Najee Dorsey)
Currently, there are very few HBCUs with museums on their campuses. HBCUs typically house their significant artworks in campus galleries, art departments, libraries, and conference rooms, as well as in the university president's home. Their Permanent Collections serve not only to showcase Black artists, but also to educate students about their rich Black history and culture, and to encourage community engagement.
Having served on several community boards and formerly as Commissioner of the City of Stamford, Connecticut's Arts and Culture Commission, Ms. Cooper appears to be fueled by being in constant motion, and she notes that she is not slowing down anytime soon. She has never traveled to the Motherland, Africa, and hopes also to work that into her schedule. She wants to learn as much as she can about our culture so she can gain a deeper understanding of who she is beyond growing up in America.
Ms. Cooper manages to juggle her responsibilities for both her non-profit and for-profit companies, thanks to a great team that operates offices in two states. That allows her also to do what she truly loves, which is spending time first with her family and her close network of friends. The love she receives from these relationships, she says, keeps her in balance; she never plans to retire.
A native of Stamford, Connecticut, Ms. Cooper has been honored with several distinguished awards. On a national level, these honors include the Inaugural Top 25 Women in Business Award in 1999 by the NYC Network Journal, and her firm was a winner of the Minority Supplier of the Year Award for small businesses. On a local level, she was awarded the 2019 Women Who Inspire Award by the Greenwich, Connecticut YMCA, which celebrated women who have excelled in philanthropic, professional, and volunteer pursuits.
Valerie A. Cooper's journey from Wall Street to art consultant, mentor, American History Maker, and pillar of the community is an inspiring example of how strategic thinking can transform and redefine industries and institutions. She has carved a unique niche in the world, bridging the gap between fine art, corporate identities, and HBCU institutions.
About the Author
Ms. Pauline W. Mansfield is an author, biographer, and public speaker known as The Turtle Queen. She has written four books, founded the Turtle Queen Author’s Club, and inspires others to share their own stories. As VP of Public Relations for Toastmasters International and a contributing writer for various publications, Ms. Pauline is passionate about uplifting others with the message: “It’s never too late to live your best life.” Learn more at https://www.turtlequeenwriteplace.com
