Marguerite Van Cook

Marguerite Van Cook
Marguerite Van Cook in 1978
Born	Marguerite Martin Portsmouth, England
Nationality	British
Known for	Fine Art, Punk Rock, Graphic Novels
Notable work	Seven Miles a Second

Marguerite Van Cook (née Martin) is an English artist, writer, musician/singer and filmmaker. She was born in England and now resides in New York City in the Lower East Side/East Village. She attended Portsmouth College of Art and Design, Northumbria University Graphic and Fine Arts programs, BMCC, and Columbia University for English (B.A.) and Modern European Studies (M.A.). She currently attends the CUNY Graduate Center in the French Ph.D. program.

Van Cook was the lead singer for The Innocents, a UK punk band, who toured as opening act for The Clash and The Slits on the "Sort it Out Tour." After this group disbanded, she joined "Steppin' Razor," an all female reggae band, as the bass player. They opened for Yellowman at Harlem World. She continues to perform at downtown New York venues.

Van Cook opened and ran Ground Zero Gallery NY with her partner James Romberger in the East Village Art scene, from 1983-1986.Among the gallery presentations was the David Wojnarowicz show Mexican Diaries, which informed the video "A Fire in My Belly," which sparked a controversy when it was removed from the exhibition Hide/Seek from the National Portrait Galleryin 2011. Under the banner of "Ground Zero", the couple curated and produced shows at Danceteria, Max Fish and other downtown clubs. In 1991, She became the director of Elston Fine Arts. In 2003, together with Romberger she directed the Fine Art elements of the Howl! Festival, an annual festival of the East Village, which included public out door sculpture exhibits, gallery shows. In 2006, she became the director and producer of the festival.