ORANGE WHITE ORANGE RED

Selected Works by Ms. Cookie

December 12, 2025 - January 25, 2026

Opening Reception: Dec. 12, 5-8pm

Holiday Market featuring ECF Artists: Dec 12, 5-8pm + Dec. 13, 12-4pm

Visit gallery by appointment via calendly. If no available times work for you please send email to info@outlookisprojects.com

Outlook Is__Projects is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition of Ms. Cookie, a multidisciplinary artist, and trans elder, who has been making drawings, paintings, sculptures and garments at the ECF Progressive art studios for fifty years. Her paintings and drawings combine geometric abstraction with figurative illustration, her work often calls to mind the colorful, intricate, and classic aesthetic of stained glass. Prominent subjects in her body of work include people, glamorous women, beauty, and fashion. By combining the subjects with kaleidoscopically colorful patterns, Ms. Cookie creates paintings that are striking not only for their aesthetic quality but also for the way in which these symbolically loaded subjects are transformed by their proximity to the rainbow. Ms. Cookie’s practice in the studio is almost equally divided between painting and researching historic images and archives. 

Ms. Cookie Biography:

Ms. Anna Cookie Norton (b. 1945) has worked at the ECF Art Centers since 1973, first starting at the ECF Art Center MLK studio and now working at the Westside studio, in Inglewood, CA.  Ms. Cookie lives in a group home with other ECF artists. Her instructor Josh Burwell remarks that “some of her interests are getting her nails done, earrings, pretty dresses and lots and lots of coffee.” Ms. Cookie has shown her work at various galleries including The Los Angeles City Hall Henry P. Rio Bridge Gallery (2024) and Range Projects Gallery (2025).

ECF Art Centers:

Since 1968, ECF Art Centers has provided adults with developmental disabilities a creative space to explore their voices, grow their skills, and share their work with the world. Working with the Otis Art Institute, ECF’s Director of Special Education, Frieda Chaikin, and Master Art Teacher, Wilmer James, launched ECF’s very first art training program—the first of its kind in the nation. With financial support from SHARE, the program nurtured the talents of budding artists and quickly gained national and international recognition. Artists were featured in the film Painting is Loving, and several early works were selected to represent “the best of America” at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France.

Over the years, the Art Centers expanded across Los Angeles County, opening dedicated studios in San Pedro, Inglewood, South LA, and Whittier in 2019. Today, more than 200 artists work Monday through Friday across our four studios, developing their practice with individualized mentorship, professional art materials, and the support of a vibrant creative community.

In 2020, when the pandemic temporarily closed our studios, ECF quickly pivoted to online services to keep artists creating and connected. The first online class was held on April 2nd, marking a new chapter of accessibility and innovation. While our studios have since fully reopened for in-person programming, we continue to offer hybrid options—such as remote classes and virtual artist talks—that allow us to stay connected and expand our reach.

Today, ECF Art Centers are more than just studios—they are a legacy of creativity and empowerment. With artists regularly participating in both local and national gallery exhibitions, and with some artists having been with us for over 50 years, we remain committed to our mission: uplifting the voices of neurodiverse artists and championing their place in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond.