About /

From an early age, Rebecca was drawn to museums founded by extraordinary collectors: The Frick Collection in New York, The Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston, The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. Reading the biographies of their often-eccentric founders, she became fascinated with the psychology of collecting, captivated by why people collect what they collect.

For four years, she explored this interest through co-authoring the “100 Top Collector’s List” for Art and Antiques magazine. She also wrote more in-depth profiles of important collectors, museum collections and contemporary artists for Art in America, Art on Paper, Art & Auction, Art Review, Flash Art, Frieze, and Sculpture Magazine. Simultaneously, she honed her knowledge of contemporary art while working at the Jack Tilton Gallery in New York, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and the Atlanta College of Art Gallery.

In 2004, Cochran was able to explore the creation of a collection from the inside when she became the curator for Sue and John Wieland. In her fifteen years at the Wieland Collection she handled the acquisition of new work, cataloged and maintained the collection database, researched and provided insurance values for the work, wrote and published a 350-page catalog, oversaw three traveling exhibitions, and designed the installation of the collection in the wareHOUSE, a 21,000 square foot exhibition space.

She launched Cochran Arts to provide similar services to collectors throughout the Southeast. In 2019, she added appraisals to her list of skills with the completion of the CASP Program at the Appraisal Institute of America. Cochran also holds a Masters Degree from the Royal College of Art in London, a Certificate in the Fine and Decorative Arts from Sotheby’s Institute, London and a Bachelors of Fine Art from the Maine College of Art. She has taught courses on Collecting and on Modern and Contemporary Art for the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and the Continuing Education department of the Atlanta College of Art.

“100 Top Collectors,” Art & Antiques, March 2006, pp. 87-119.
“100 Top Collectors,” Art & Antiques, March 2005, 97-119.
“Pop Star: Collector Lisa Perry,” Art Review, December 2004, pp. 86-91.
“100 Top Collectors,” (co-author), Art & Antiques, March 2004, pp. 85-107.
“Americas Top 100 Collectors,” (co-author) Art & Antiques, March 2003, pp 75-97.
“A Fine Focus: Paul and Gloria Sternberg Cultivate a Photography Collection that Clicks,” Art & Antiques, November 2002, p. 62-66.
“Art Intuition: Linda Pace,” Art and Antiques, May 2002, pp. 64-69.
“Art Patriot: Jack Warner,” Art and Antiques, March 2002, pp. 104-109.
“Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi,” ArtPapers Online, May 17, 2018.
“Al Taylor: What Are You Looking At?” ArtPapers, Winter 2017/2018, p. 77.
“Mark Lewis at the Art Gallery of Ontario,” Art in America, November 2017, pp. 114-115.
“Simone Leigh,” Sculpture, December 2014, pp. 74-5.
“The Magical World of Ferdinand Cooper”
Raw Vision, vol. 79, October 2013, pp. 36-41.
“Craig Drennan,” Art in America, May 2012, p. 86.
“Tracey Snellings at the Frist Center for the Arts,” Artforum.com, October 2011.
“Critic’s Picks: Dana Shutz,” Artforum.com, February 2011.
“Critic’s Picks: iona rozeal brown,” Artforum.com, October 2010.
“Fahamu Pecou,” Art in America, May 2010, pp. 162-3.
“Critic’s Picks: Yinka Shonibare” Artforum.com, January 2007.
“Stella Lai and Iona Rozeal Brown at Saltworks,” Art in America, November 2006, p. 214.
“Luis Gonzalez Palma at Lisa Sette,” Art in America, October 2004, p. 164-5.
“Pat Steir’s New Drawings,” Art on Paper, March 2003, p. 69.
“Radcliffe Bailey,” NKA: Journal of Contemporary African Art, Fall/Winter 2001, p. 84.
“Cai Guo Quang,” Sculpture Magazine, February 1998, p. 65-66.
“Skulptur. Projecte in Munster 1997,” Art Papers, November/December 1997, p. 70.
“Anselm Kiefer: Anthony D’Offay,” Art Papers, May/June 1997, p. 84.
“Juan Munoz: Palacio de Velasquez,” Art Papers, March/April 1997, p. 81.
“Tacita Dean: Tate Gallery,” Art Papers, January/February 1997, p. 69.

Art Papers, January/February 1997, p. 69.

“Leonardo Drew: Epic Mythologies of Detritus,” Sculpture, April 2010, pp. 34-39.
“The Space In Between: A Conversation with Kader Attia,” Sculpture, Jan/Feb 2010, pp. 29-35.
“Today’s Masters: Jack Whitten,” Art & Antiques, Summer 2009, pp. 66-70.
“The Other Side: Willie Cole” Sculpture, March 2006, pp. 24-29.
“Fantastic Worlds: An interview with Nicole Eisenman,” Art Papers, July/August 2000, p. 26-29.
“Focus: Atelier van Lieshout,” Sculpture Magazine, March 1999, p. 12-3. “Catalogue,” Susan Hiller, London: Tate Gallery, 1996.
“Reflections and Refractions: The House as a Mirror of Contemporary Society,” in Homeward: Selections from the Wieland Collection (Atlanta: the Wieland Collection), 2016 pp. 12-19.
“Lord of the Art Manor: The Barnes Collection,” Art & Antiques, November 2007, pp. 171-174.
“Out of the Box: Seattle’s New Olympic Sculpture Park,” Art & Antiques, April 2007, pp. 100- 101.
“Time Travel in the Boardroom: The Paris offices of AXA Group,” Art & Antiques, March 2007, pp. 108-116.
“Discoveries: Sculpture Central, Dallas’ New Nasher Sculpture Center,” Art & Antiques, October 2003, pp.72-74.
“Site: The Charles W. Ireland Sculpture Garden, Birmingham Museum of Art,” Sculpture Magazine, July/August 2002, pp. 22-3.

Guest Lecturer, Professional Practices, Graduate School of Art and Design, Georgia State University, November 12, 2018

“Guest Critic”, Graduate School of Art and Design, Georgia State University, March 22, 2016

“OFF/Center: Art Writing from the Regions,” three day symposium organized in conjunction with the American Association of Art Critics and Emory University, Atlanta, September 20-22, 2013

“Guest Critic, Leap Year Awardees,” The Goat Farm, Atlanta, November 20, 2011

“Contemporary Art Criticism,” Nashville Cultural Arts Project, Nashville, April 13, 2011

“Female Photographers: Is there a gender voice?” Panelist, Hagedorn Foundation, Atlanta, April 7, 2011

“Art and Censorship: A Screening of David Wojnarowicz’s A Fire in My Belly and Panel Discussion,” Panelist, Emory University, Atlanta, February 17, 2011

“The Art of Collecting,” Davis Waldron Fine Art, Atlanta, July 12, 2007

“Collecting Now,” Four-part seminar on collecting contemporary art, taught with Stuart Horodner at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 27, 2007

“Art Criticism,” Guest Lecturer, Kennesaw State University, GA, October 17, 2006

“Local Heros: Public Art from the Private Realm, ” sponsored by Fulton County Arts Council,City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the Metropolitan Public Art Committee, Hill Auditorium, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, May 18, 2006

“Guest Critic,” Drawing and Painting Graduate Seminar, Georgia State University, Atlanta,November 29, 2004

“Opportunities for Artists in Public Art Programs,” Moderator, Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art, Atlanta, March 2004

“The Art of Collecting,” Trinity School, Atlanta, February 2004; Wesleyan School, Atlanta, May 2004

“Conversation with Ross Bleckner,” Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta, March 2000

“Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Reflections of the Self in Contemporary Art,” Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art, Atlanta, May 1999

“Joseph Beuys,” High Museum of Art, Atlanta, November 1994

“Bridging the Gap: Trends in Post-World War II American and European Art,” High Museum of Art, Atlanta, September-November 1994

“Ray Smith,” High Museum of Art, Atlanta, October 1993

“Studio Artists’ Critique,” Atlanta College of Art, Department of Continuing Education, Atlanta, September-December 1993

“Dennis Oppenheim,” High Museum of Art, Atlanta, March 1993

“Faces and Facets of Multiculturalism,” Atlanta College of Art, Department of Continuing Education, Atlanta, September-December 1992

“The New York Art Market,” Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, December 1991

“David Hammons,” Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, December 1991

“The Wieland Collection would never be what it is today without the 15 years of guidance from Rebecca. She understood our vision of creating a collection that is totally unique, and she pursued it with passion, using her extensive gallery and art contacts plus her own very good judgment when it came to installation. She was also extremely diligent in the mechanics of making sure that all pieces were documented properly and that items of interest at auction were thoroughly researched before we bid. Rebecca is an absolute professional in all aspects of the Fine Art world.”
– John Wieland
“As a result of my decision to downsize my residence, I found myself with some with an excess of large 18th and 19th century fine paintings. Fortunately, I knew of Rebecca who did an outstanding job of locating and negotiating for the successful liquidation of these pieces. I doubt if the outcome would have been nearly as successful without her expertise.”
– Russ Chandler, Atlanta