Alumni Award

A great photograph doesn’t just tell a story, it tells us about our world. Through her pioneering photos of graffiti, hip hop, and urban settings, Martha Cooper ’63 has documented a world that often goes unseen.

Even as a child, Cooper was fascinated by photography. Shortly after arriving at Grinnell at age 16, she constructed a makeshift darkroom on campus so she could continue building her skills. After graduation, she spent two years in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Since then, she has split her time as a freelance and staff photographer. Her work has appeared in publications including National Geographic, Smithsonian, and the New York Post.

This alumna may be best known for documenting New York graffiti and graffiti artists through her book, Subway Art. The book, which has sold more than a half-million copies since its publication in 1984, is credited as the first to consider graffiti painters as visual artists instead of vandals.

Her photographs have appeared in more than 20 books, many of which document urban landscapes and residents. Her work has been praised by critics as “inspiring” and as “black-and-white brilliance.” She has spent the past two decades as the director of photography at City Lore, an organization created to showcase the richness of New York City’s cultural heritage.

For capturing the art of everyday life in its many forms, Grinnell is pleased to honor Martha Cooper ’63.