| Leigha Cohen was born and raised in NYC. In 1983, she moved to the Trenton/Lawrenceville vicinity where she presently lives with her 92 year old father who recently came to live with her and her two son's that are attending college. Leigha accumulates degrees like others collect fine wine. She has a way of setting her mind to something and taking it to the next level. Her education includes a BSSE in Engineering, BA in Sociology, and a Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood Education. In the early 1970s Leigha studied photography at Queens College and The New School followed by one year in the MFA program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In the late 1970s she taught preschool and worked as a resource teacher at the Lexington School for the Deaf. For many years she tutored college level mathematics and physics. |
| In 1983, after graduating from Pratt Institute Engineering School with highest honors, she worked as an electrical engineer at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory followed by a five-year stint with Science Applications International Corporation working on projects associated with particle accelerators. Though out most of her life, Leigha struggled with the medical condition of Gender Identity Disorder. She was formally diagnosed with this condition in 1997. Although this provided her a life altering challenge, Leigha proceeded to follow appropriate standards of care to change her gender, which she successfully completed in 1999. With her many accomplishments has also come her struggle over the last several years with the disabling conditions of Bipolar Disorder and Chronic Pain Disorder. Some of her darkest hours came while falling ill in late 2004 being hospitalized multiple times for chronic pain while also spending 8 months in the woman’s wellness program at Princeton House, and then, almost by providence, she rediscovered photography following a 25-year absence. Through her struggles, Leigha has found that there are many ways to deal with chronic disabling illnesses besides traditional western medicine and medications. People get sick and they may or may not be an artist. Leigha believes strongly in the power to heal oneself by tapping into her ones own power and the strength of those around her. That power includes doing creative activities including art, meditation, keeping a healthy diet, exercising whenever possible, then both seeking and giving help to loved ones and friends. Leigha’s photography brings her tremendous satisfaction and purpose and like everything else, she takes it to the next level. As Leigha remains disabled, she has found ways to become enabled again through her art. When her health allows, she shoots portraits and commitment ceremonies, although most of her work focuses on capturing landscapes. Leading hospitals such as AtlantiCare and local doctors’ and lawyers’ offices have discovered her talents, purchasing much of her work. She has shown her photography in both solo shows and group venues across New Jersey. Local venues include Gallery 125 in Trenton, The Trenton City Museum, M. Christina Geis Gallery, Staten Island Museum, MANA Fine Arts in Jersey City and the Toms River Library. Leigha is one of the founding members of the Art Cooperative TRACx81 and a recent member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia 2008 already promises to be an exciting year since winning a competitive grant to create new work for Arts Unbound located in Orange, NJ. Leigha also has displayed several of her pictures in two international juried events for artists with disabilities including Artfirst! at Princeton Hospital "where she received the third place award prize in photography" and All About Art at MossRehab in Elkins Park, PA. With Leigha recently winning second prize at the their Spring Show at the William Way Community Center in Philadelphia, PA where she will be one or three featured artist in their upcoming show during August and September of 2008. |
| Photograph by Carin Preston |
