PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa
Contact: Kevin Ledgewood
pr@tuscarts.org
205-758-5195, x6
ARTIST JOE MACGOWN FEATURED AT THE DINAH WASHINGTON CULTURAL ARTS CENTER IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will host an exhibit by Mississippi artist Joe A. MacGown in The Arts Council Gallery at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. Titled “Explorations of Alternate Realities,” the display will be available for viewing August 4 – September 14, 2023. The exhibit will open during the First Friday Art Walk on August 4 at 5 p.m. with the artist present with commentary about the exhibit. The display will be comprised of works in ink in both black & white and color that will be for sale.
Joe A. MacGown is a Mississippi artist and naturalist who has been creating art for 50 plus years. He is known for his scientific illustrations and detailed chaotic assemblages of strange, mutated creatures, crowded surreal landscapes and mandala-like designs. Using imaginative imagery and random patterns, he produces detailed drawings and mixed media paintings by simply allowing ideas to flow out of his head using a method he describes as “Subconscious Meandering.” In addition to being an artist, MacGown worked as a research technician/scientific illustrator especially focused on ant research at the Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University from 1988 until he retired in 2020. He later rejoined the museum on a part time basis to continue research on native and exotic ants. His scientific background has served as great inspiration for his surreal pieces of art.
MacGown’s works have been featured in books, magazines and other media and in numerous local and regional exhibitions as well international group shows in Dallas, TX; Chicago, IL; Memphis, Tenn.; San Francisco, CA; Washington D.C.; Australia; Colombia; Toronto, Canada; Great Britain; the Philippines; Moscow & St. Petersburg, Russia; Belgrade, Serbia; the Netherlands; Nepal; various venues in France; Dresden, Germany; Venice, Italy; Portugal; and other regions.
Over the last few years, the artist and his son, Joseph A. MacGown, have been creating an art compound called MacGown Art Retreat and Studio (MARS) on their property in the Sessums community, located 10 miles from the Mississippi State campus. A highlight of this endeavor is the MacGown Art “Artist-in-Residence” program, which pays a stipend for 2 to 4 visiting artists per year with funding from a local philanthropic arts organization called the Del Rendon Foundation. Artists stay in their guest cabin for 2 to 4 weeks while creating art and collaborating with the hosts in various ways.
Visit the artist’s site at http://joemacgown.com and his social media pages at www.facebook.com/MacGownArt and www.instagram.com/macgown_art/.
Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. For more information about The Arts Council Gallery, visit www.tuscarts.org.
The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre or CAC, patrons should like the Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.