Cinnamon Cooney, the online art teacher who had a quarter of a million subscribers on her theartsherpa YouTube channel, has tragically died.
She was 54.
Cooney and her husband John were both art lovers who imparted their knowledge of painting to millions worldwide. News of her death has stunned that art community.
Ginger Cook, Cinnamon Cooney’s mom, announced the news of her tragic death.
No cause of death was listed.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share the devastating news of the passing of my beloved daughter, Cinnamon Cooney, known to so many as The Art Sherpa,” Cook shared in a post that has since gone viral on Facebook. “…Cinnamon touched the lives of countless people with her extraordinary talent, warmth, and ability to teach art in a way that brought joy and creativity into homes worldwide. She passed on December 10, 2024, and the cause of her death is yet to be determined,”
Cook added that her daughter was the kind of child ‘any parent dreams of having’.
She described her as smart, funny, and kind, noting that her style of teaching with humor and encouragement helped her build up her community of adoring fans and followers.
Cooney is survived by her husband John (married for 24 years), her three children Honey (20), Spider Jack (14), and Luna Bella (12), and countless others.
A GoFundMe has been started in her honor, to raise money for her surviving family who relied heavily on the revenue from her YouTube show.
“Cinnamon and John’s work online, teaching the world to paint was the sole source of income for their household,” organizer Colleen Siegel of Ann Arbor MI wrote. “Now, with Cinnamon’s unexpected passing, that income is no longer available at the level it once was, leaving the family in need of financial support…”
She added: “We are raising funds to help with immediate expenses and to give John and the children the time and space they need without the constant worry of finances.”
The fundraiser has so far garnered a total of $29,242 of its $100,000 goal.
