Growing up as the youngest of five children on North 9th Street in Reading, Theron Cook began to develop the skills which led to becoming a widely recognized artist in the region. He attended 10th and Green Elementary, Northeast Jr High, and graduated from Reading High School in 2003. Through these years, he took advantage of the opportunities to embrace his talent and chosen path in life.

“I would say that I was always an artist since I was a child when I started paying attention to my creativity. I was into sports, playing basketball at the Olivet’s on Mulberry where we won the championship for two years in middle school and high school. I then suffered an injury that would not heal early in high school, and I began to take art classes and started my art journey intentionally.”

Theron was inspired in several ways which kept him focused on his artistic goals. “My father was a carpenter and creative with that type of work; I had that in me. Family members had the skills. I found inspiration from my peers to do art, but mainly from my teachers at Reading High School, Mr. Burkhart, Sandy Turner, Mrs. Bloom. When I started working with them at Reading High, I began developing basic art skills. That is what really did it for me. I brought projects home, and my father saw me taking a liking to art and bought me a paint set for Easter. It was unusual because I used to get an Easter basket. I painted my whole room, my ceiling and everything, and that started it.”

With high school graduation on the horizon, Theron contemplated his next steps toward a career in the art world. “While in high school, I started reaching out to places, and had about four or five scholarships. I had a few mentors who were very instrumental in my development along the journey, helping with the process of writing for financial help. I attended Hussian College in Philadelphia, where I received my four-year degree in Advertising and Design. During my senior year I was required to have an internship, and was accepted at Vibe Magazine in New York City. I graduated number one in my class, and they nominated me for the 2008 Great Award; the first time I ever had a nomination as a student for a national award. I continued my internship at Vibe and started Mute Magazine, a regional magazine, and published it before I went on to work with Essence Time Inc. Magazine in Rockefeller Center in New York City. I was laid off from Essence Time as a digital designer around the same time the iPad came to be. When I got laid off, I was living in Time Square, down the street from Madison Square Garden. I started free lancing and then landed an international advertising design job with BMW, with the title of studio artist. I became part of a specialized group with BMW. I loved the work with KBS, however, in the midst of working with them, I suffered some life-changing health issues, and was hospitalized for months at a time. They waited for me, allowing me to get my job back. That was awesome. However, I eventually got laid off from there during the digital vs. print era.”

Changes were on the way for Theron, which impacted his life and future. “While living in New York and working for KBS, my son was born on my birthday, December 11th. I was a single father, and had just gotten out of the hospital here in Reading. When I got laid off, I decided to move back to Reading after my son was born. I moved to Exeter Township.”

Another event which impacted his life and his decision to return to his roots in Reading was the tragic loss of his niece through suicide. “After this devastating family tragedy, I was going through things belonging to my niece and came across an article taken from the Reading Eagle written about me. I did not know that she was looking at me from afar and saved the article. It really affected me. At the time, I was teaching at the Goggleworks, giving private classes. The tragedy lit a fire in me to formulate my own foundation, TCA Theron Cook Art – Don’t Quit Foundation. The premise was to create mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and to provide creative outlets for self-expression for anyone. When I came back to Reading in 2017-2018, I started creating a workshop entitled ‘Who Am I?’; that was the spark for the community. I offered free art workshops on 5th Street, at the Callow Hill Salt and Light Café near the WCR Center for the Arts, every Friday on a first-come, first serve basis. I then transitioned to the Reading Museum, and tailored it to family and students. That was the start to my foundation work. I did not officially formulate the structure for the foundations programs until 2023. We are now approaching our third Metamorphosis Gala, our annual fundraiser for our signature programs. Who Am I? is a creative wellness afterschool program for middle school kids, basically exercising their creativity in a safe space, exploring their mind. The Art Cycle Program is about taking care of the environment, and is tailored to the community as a whole. We also have a family friendly art fair workshop during the summer, where students get to experience creating art with their family while creating understanding and support. We are looking to expand out into Berks County from Reading with our programming.”

Theron has been very successful bringing people and communities together through art in a very creative and effective way. “I did a fellowship in Chester, including students from a regional initiative. During a six-month fellowship program, facilitators were able to install murals through the Chester Art Cycle Program. The murals bled into my messaging about the environment and the incinerator in Chester. The project finished up in June, but it continued into a Puerto Rico trip, where we were able to select four students from our groups from Reading and Chester to go on the trip. It was a great collaborative effort and a life-changing trip, all while creating a piece of public art.”

Most recently, Theron has been receiving accolades and a lot of publicity for two major art projects here in Berks County, the Olivet’s Mural Project and the Reading Pagoda Project. “I was doing both of these projects at the same time. The Olivet’s Mural Project was a full circle moment for me. I attended the Olivet’s on Mulberry, my first official basketball experience, where I won a championship and a trophy during my last two or three years there as a teenager. The two workshops for the project were at my elementary school at 10th and Green. I was able to go back there and have the voices of students heard through the mural, which was entitled Champions of Possibility, incorporating their ideas, concepts, and images. The first two workshops were used for this purpose and then we put it all together and had our paint day. We actually had Mulberry Olivet kids and Clinton Street kids and interns from East Penn/Deka; we had over 40 participants on pre and painting day rotation sessions. The mural was installed at the Olivet’s Clinton Street location.

“The Reading Pagoda Project was initiated last September when Joey Miranda, President of the Pagoda at that time, reached out and said they were interested in doing a mural. It was a wow factor that they invited me. They were finished with the renovations outside, and we took a look at the wall around the fireplace. I did a mockup for that space and brought back a new approach. They said, ‘We want you to do the columns,’ and I said, ‘Yes, that’s it.’ I wasn’t sure if that was allowed, but once they told me I could, I went right to my computer, getting some imagery together, did my history research, and incorporated it in my mockup which was approved. It is now completed. I’m thinking there will be a part two.”

Theron continues to occupy his childhood home on North 9th Street in Reading, where his original artwork still exists in the bedroom he occupied as a boy. He is embracing his role as a father and has included his young son in every project he has done. “My son has touched all of my 19 murals. I always leave a spot for him to paint, which I document and save.” By the time this article is published, Theron expects to undertake his biggest mural wall he has ever done, located south of Penn. Follow him to see how his latest project unfolds.

Read more about Theron Cook at Theroncookart.com and tcadontquit.org