Cotey Gallagher has been creating art for as long as she can remember, with the visual arts shaping her life's journey from an early age. She earned her BFA in Illustration at the Art Institute of Boston (now Lesley University College of Art & Design), later freelancing in illustration for books and magazines and providing graphic design services for private clients. In 2014, Cotey wrote and illustrated her first children’s book, which blossomed into a series of three self-published, grammar-based children’s picture books.

Her love for art extends beyond the two-dimensional. A lifelong passion for crafting and textiles led her, in November 2018, to the Oxford Rug Hooking School, where she immersed herself in the craft and history of punch needle rug hooking. In June 2019, Cotey completed the Oxford Instructor’s Certification Program for Punch Needle Rug Hooking, further honing her expertise and preparing to teach others this versatile art form. She extended her knowledge further by becoming an Advanced Oxford Certified Instructor while working for The Oxford Company where she designed numerous patterns and projects and taught courses at the school. Today, Cotey produces unique, one-of-a-kind rugs and patterns for her own Etsy shop, Cotey C. Creations and has had her designs featured regularly in Rug Hooking Magazine. She not only offers instruction on the basics of punch needle rug hooking, but can also offer guidance on custom rug design.