Joe MacGown's Art Blog

Videos of Manic Depression and Self Searching on Youtube

2011-11-23T15:21:00.002-06:00

I made videos of two of my drawings, Manic Depression and Self Searching, and loaded them on Youtube the other day. In both cases, I panned across the surface of each piece slowly to allow the viewer to see the detail more closely. For the Manic Depression video, I added some background music that I made up on the spot and played on my guitar. While I am not really a musician, I think the guitar that I recorded for this conveys the feeling of the artwork. For the Self Searching video, my son Joseph made up some keyboard music, which I added to the video. Anyway, the videos are embedded below, and can also be accessed by clicking the links above.

Sensorium Project in Australia

2011-11-11T09:44:00.003-06:00

I was invited to be a part of the Sensorium Project in Australia (http://sensorium.net.au/). This project is a fusion of art and science and will feature visionary artists from around the world. Artwork, both physical and projected, will be exhibited in mobile geodesic dome that will travel Australia. Currently, my involvement will include some of my artwork being projected inside the dome. I have an artist's page on the Sensorium web site at: http://sensorium.net.au/artists/joe-macgown

Energy Art Spectrum 2011 - Reception

2011-11-11T08:49:00.004-06:00

The reception for the Energy Art Spectrum 2011 exhibition was held from 6-8 pm on Saturday 29 October 2011 at the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian, MS. As this was an international show, it was difficult for members from other regions of the world to attend, and I was the only representative from the group. The crowd was not huge, but the folks that attended were treated to a great exhibition, and they generally seemed to appreciate the artwork. In fact, most of the viewers stayed for the entire two hour period. At 7 pm, museum director Kate Cherry gave a talk about the show, and following her talk, I gave a talk about the Energy Art Movement and how it related to my artwork. A video of Kate and my talk is available on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdOcDi-qUoQ&feature=related, a video of my talk is available on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2GXOuAPCv0, and a video showing viewers at the reception can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG1Y4z9CFaM&feature=related.

Some photos from the show

Energy Art Spectrum 2011-Meridian Museum of Art

2011-10-05T19:52:00.007-05:00

The Energy Spectrum 2011

We will be having an Exhibition of the International Energy Art Movement (EAM) at the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian, MS (USA) between Oct. 5 – Nov. 26, 2011 with a reception on Oct. 29, 6-8 pm.

This is big, this is AWESOME! This is an international exhibit featuring 48 works of art from 21 artists from 11 countries and 10 US States! The Energy Spectrum 2011 is the 5th exhibition of the Movement, after successful exhibitions in Canada, Chicago, Memphis, and most recently the annual Energy Art Salon in Russia, all followed by media acclaim. The current exhibition intends to show the breadth of what energy art is able to express, as a "spectrum" of concepts and their depictions, analogously to the scientific idea of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A wide range of styles, techniques, and mediums will be presented at the exhibition, from cutting edge digital fractal flame art, through detailed ink drawings done in hundreds of hours, to the emotive brushwork of energetic expressionism.

Artists Participating in the Exhibit
Aaron Reichert (Louisiana, USA)
Adam Scott Miller (USA/Australia)
AEres Vistaas (New Jersey, USA)
Arriba Stature (Washington, USA)
Dan Bunea (Romania)
Giorgio Vaselli (Hungary/Canada)
Greg Pettit (Texas, USA)
Helene Kippert (Australia)
Hiroyuki Saito (Japan)
Jeroen van Valkenburg (Netherlands)
Joe MacGown (Mississippi, USA)
Kaisa Koljonen (Finland)
Ladi Fricova (Czech Republic/UK)
Lee Mitchell (Michigan, USA)
Peggy Mintun (Ohio, USA)
Penelope Oakley (UK)
Rita Dianni-Kaleel (Illonois, USA)
Ronnj Medini (Italy)
Shahla Rosa (California, USA)
Simon Haiduk (Canada)
Teresa Young (Canada)

My three pieces in the show are "Nine Panes of Thought", "Manic Depression", and "Nine Spheres to Enlightenment".

Nine Panes of Thought

Manic Depression

Nine Spheres to Enlightenment

About the Movement
The Energy Art Movement now includes a hundred members around the globe from Romania to Japan and two from Mississippi, the Movement intends to build a multi-span bridge between various parts of the art world.

The Energy Art Movement is an international contemporary multimedia art movement, with three primary values: quality, diversity, and evolution – on the common ground of energetic depictions. The Movement's values have been explicitly defined in its manifesto – which is its founding document – and its principles. Members believe that enhancing their creations with energy – either in composition or in subject matter – adds artistic value to their depictions. The Movement strives to follow a progressive trend of forward evolution in the Fine Arts, while embracing both traditional and digital media.

The Movement’s members draw from many earlier major styles – such as impressionism, expressionism, and futurism – while they enhance their work with energetic compositions which –according to their manifesto‘s reasoning – adds artistic value to them, and thus is a new stage of evolution and synthesis for those styles, and so for the Fine Arts. As Organizer Giorgio Vaselli has stated: “I would like our messages to be revolutionary, yet nonradical. Heard, yet not loud. Influential, yet non-confrontational. Clear, yet deep."

About the Museum
The mission of the Meridian Museum of Art is to promote the visual arts through exhibitions and collections, art education and support of regional artists, and to enhance community life through the celebration of diverse cultures. Museum programs are supported by the City of Meridian, the Mississippi Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Riley Foundation.

The Meridian Museum of Art is located at 628 25th Avenue, Meridian, MS 39301, USA. The Museum is housed in the historic Old Carnegie Library building (constructed 1912-1913). The Museum is open 11 am - 5 pm, Wednesday - Saturday, and admission to the Museum is free.

Contacts
MMA Director, Kate Cherry, meridianmuseum@bellsouth.net
EAM Organizer Giorgio, Vaselli Giorgio, Vaselli@EnergyArtMovement.org
EAM Representative, Joe MacGown, art@joemacgown.com

www.EnergyArtMovement.org | www.MeridianMuseum.org

MSU Faculty Exhibition, Silent Existence CD Cover, and Energy Art Show

2011-09-10T13:02:00.012-05:00

Mississippi State Faculty Art Exhibition

If you are in Starkville, MS the next couple of months, you should make a point to visit the Mississippi State Department of Art’s 2011 Faculty Exhibition at the Visual Arts Center (VAC) on University Drive between August 30 and October 28. The opening reception was held on September 1, from 5.30 to 7.30 pm. Although I am not in the Art Dept., I did a collaborative drawing (insect related) with Soon Ee Ngoh, an exceptionally talented art professor. The drawing we did together is entitled "Dacetine Radiation" and is centered on a unique group of ants in the Tribe Dacetini and the microhabitats that they live in. After the exhibition is over, our drawing will return to the Clay Lyle Entomology Lobby.

For more info about the show: http://caad.msstate.edu/wpmu/artnews/category/exhibitions/

Dacetine Radiation

Upcoming Energy Art Show at Meridian Museum of Art

The Energy Art Movement of which I am a member will be having a show at the Meridian Musuem of Art in Meridian, MS from October 5th through November 26, 2011 with a reception at 7 PM on October 29 with a gallery talk by artists.

The Energy Art Movement was started in May of 2008 by a group of artists collectively interested in raising the standards of artisitic expression. They believe that visual dynamism - "Energy Art" - is a natural evolution of art trends that preceded it, particularly those trends which reflect the complexity of civilization. As technology and science hurtle forward, this international movement holds that art should do more than reflect our surroundings: it should aspire to capture the energetic essence of life.

Manic Depression (4 X 4 feet)

Artwork for upcoming compilation CD compiled by Silent Existence

I recently finished two mixed media drawings/paintings for a pychedelic music CD compiled by Silent Existence. The image for the front of the CD is entitled "Nine Spheres to Enlightenment", which is also the name of the CD. The image for the back and spines of the CD is called "Green Silence. For more info about the CD [link].

Nine Spheres to Enlightenment

Green Silence

Upcoming Energy Art Show at Meridian Museum of Art and my Subconscious Meandering Show still ongoing

2011-08-07T11:29:00.006-05:00

My exhibition entitled "Subconscious Meandering" is still ongoing at the Depot Gallery on the Mississippi State University Campus. The gallery is located above the Welcome Center in the Barnes and Nobles Building beside the Football Stadium. The show will be up through August 31st. The gallery is open from 8 AM to 5 PM Mondays through Fridays.

I have approximately 35 pieces of art in the show including a variety of surreal type drawings and mixed media paintings ranging in size from 8 X 8 inches to 4 X 4 feet. Additionally, some of the artwork includes collaborative works that I have done with several artists from around the world including Bernard Dumaine, Marcel Bakker, Debra Valentine, Gromyko Semper, Janelle McKain, Ben Tolman, Joseph Larkin, Sally Hunter, and Peter Sibrin.

Write-up by Steve Nalley about the exhibit in the Starkville Daily News : http://starkvilledailynews.com/node/5823

Info about the show was also in the Starkville Dispatch Newspaper: http://www.cdispatch.com/lifestyles/article.asp?aid=11506

More info about the show: http://www.visit.msstate.edu/gallery/
and on the MSU Art Dept. Blog: http://caad.msstate.edu/wpmu/artnews/2011/05/

Upcoming Energy Art Show at Meridian Museum of Art

In other art news, the Energy Art Movement of which I am a member will be having a show at the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian, Mississippi from October 5th through November 26, 2011 with a reception at 7 pm on October 29 with a gallery talk by artists.

The Energy Art Movement was started in May of 2008 by a group of artists collectively interested in raising the standards of artisitic expression. They believe that visual dynamism - "Energy Art" - is a natural evolution of art trends that preceded it, particularly those trends which reflect the complexity of civilization. As technology and science hurtle forward, this international movement holds that art should do more than reflect our surroundings: it should aspire to capture the energetic essence of life.

My drawing "Manic Depression"

Reception for show in 2 days!

2011-05-31T22:21:00.003-05:00

The reception for my exhibition entitled "Subconscious Meandering" is only 2 days away! The reception will be held Thursday, June 2nd from 5-7 pm at the Depot Gallery on the Mississippi State University Campus. The gallery is located above the Welcome Center in the Barnes and Nobles Building beside the Football Stadium. The show will be up all summer from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday from 3 May to 31 August 2011.

Some of the artwork included will be collaborative works that I have done with several artists from around the world including Bernard Dumaine, Marcel Bakker, Debra Valentine, Gromyko Semper, Janelle McKain, Ben Tolman, Joseph Larkin, Sally Hunter, and Peter Sibrin.

Collaboration with Peter Sibrin

If you can make the reception, great, if not, the show will be up all summer.

A nice write-up by Steve Nalley about the exhibit was in yesterday's issue of the Starkville Daily News : http://starkvilledailynews.com/node/5823

Info about the show was also in the Starkville Dispatch Newspaper: http://www.cdispatch.com/lifestyles/article.asp?aid=11506

More info about the show: http://www.visit.msstate.edu/gallery/
and on the MSU Art Dept. Blog: http://caad.msstate.edu/wpmu/artnews/2011/05/

"Subconscious Meandering" Reception June 2nd, 5-7pm

2011-05-27T08:59:00.003-05:00

The reception for my exhibition entitled "Subconscious Meandering" is less than one week away! The reception will be held next Thursday, June 2nd from 5-7 pm at the Depot Gallery on the Mississippi State University Campus. The gallery is located above the Welcome Center in the Barnes and Nobles Building beside the Football Stadium. The show will be up all summer from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday from 3 May to 31 August 2011.

Some of the artwork included will be collaborative works that I have done with several artists from around the world including Bernard Dumaine, Marcel Bakker, Debra Valentine, Gromyko Semper, Janelle McKain, Ben Tolman, Joseph Larkin, Sally Hunter, and Peter Sibrin.

If you can make the reception, great, if not, the show will be up all summer.

A nice write-up by Steve Nalley about the exhibit was in yesterday's issue of the Starkville Daily News : http://starkvilledailynews.com/node/5823

More info about the show: http://www.visit.msstate.edu/gallery/

and on the MSU Art Dept. Blog: http://caad.msstate.edu/wpmu/artnews/2011/05/

"Lithophillic Hallucinations", collaboration with Filipino artist Gromyko Semper and me.

Joe MacGown Art Exhibition -Depot Gallery, MSU

2011-05-04T19:25:00.006-05:00

My exhibition entitled "Subconscious Meandering" featuring some of my surreal drawings and paintings is up and running at the Depot Gallery on the Mississippi State University Campus. The gallery is located above the Welcome Center in the Barnes and Nobles Building beside the Football Stadium. The show will be up all summer from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday from 3 May to 31 August 2011.

There will be an opening reception on Thursday, 2 June 2011 from 5 PM to 7 PM. Come join me for some refreshments while you view my somewhat strange artwork! Feel free to ask questions about how and why I draw the stuff I do.

If you can make the reception, great, if not, the show will be up all summer.

More info about the show: http://www.visit.msstate.edu/gallery/

and on the MSU Art Dept. Blog: http://caad.msstate.edu/wpmu/artnews/2011/05/

Cotton District 5k

2011-04-24T12:43:00.002-05:00

Had a great day at the Cotton District Arts Festival in Starkville, MS yesterday! As I have the last few years, I submitted some artwork to the Juried show. I have had pretty good success with this show the last five years, especially considering that a different juror judges the show each year. This year, my piece entitled "Manic Depression" won first place in the Drawing/Mixed Media category!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to view my artwork, and the other art in the show.

Joe MacGown Art Exhibition -Depot Gallery, MSU

2011-04-22T14:24:00.005-05:00

I will be having an exhibition entitled "Subconscious Meandering" featuring some of my surreal drawings and paintings at the Depot Gallery on the Mississippi State University Campus. The gallery is located above the Welcome Center in the Barnes and Nobles Building beside the Football Stadium. The show will be up all summer from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday from 3 May to 31 August 2011.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday, 2 June 2011 from 5 PM to 7 PM.

If you can make the reception, great, if not, the show will be up all summer.

More info about the show: http://www.visit.msstate.edu/gallery/

Cotton District Arts Festival 2011

2011-04-22T14:12:00.005-05:00

The 2011 Cotton District Arts Festival will be held tomorrow (April 23rd), and it looks like it will be a pleasant day for it! I entered 3 pieces of artwork in the juried show and all 3 were accepted! The three I entered were Manic Depression, Vent, and Out of the Fold. Hopefully, one or more of these will win something in the show! This year's juror is Terry Cherry, an accomplished watercolorist and art teacher extraordinare at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, MS. If you get a chance, come by the festival and check out the juried show, which will be held in the Visual Arts Building on University Drive. Awards will be presented at 9:30, but the arts festival will be all day!

Manic Depression 48 X 48 inches

Out of the Fold, 19 X 24 inches

Vent, 20 X 20 inches

Energy Art Show in Russia and new collaboration

2011-03-09T18:43:00.006-06:00

The Energy Art Movement recently had a competition and all gold medal finalists get to have their pieces exhibited in the City Exhibition Center "Dialog" in Novgorod, Russia.

I only entered one picture in the competition, a piece I did a number of years ago entitled "Infinity" and was lucky enough to be a gold medalist. Based on various feedback, web stats, etc., this piece has proven to be my most viewed image on the web. Unfortunately, due to the ridiculously high mailing costs by Fed Ex or UPS, I decided not to send the original to Russia. However, I did send a high quality print that I matted and framed with plexiglass. This show presents a wonderful opportunity to show my work side by side with other artists doing some very exciting work. For more info about the Energy Art Movement, visit their web site at: http://www.energyartmovement.org/

Infinity

In other cool news, I just finished up a collaborative drawing with Marcel Bakker. Marcel in an awesome artist! He started the drawing by doing the top portion, then covering it with card stock except for a one inch strip. He then mailed it to me and I completed the bottom section. I entitled the piece "Garden of Unearthly Delights". You can see more of Marcel's work at: http://mbkkr.deviantart.com/

Garden of Unearthly Delights

Collaborations and new artwork

2011-02-19T17:18:00.003-06:00

Been working on a collaboration with Marcel Bakker the last couple of weeks. I am drawing the bottom half of a drawing of which he did the top half. He covered the top half with paper only leaving an inch wide strip for me to work with. We call this type of collaboration an Exquite Corpse. I started doing these with some other artists a couple of years ago when I joined a club on the Deviant Art web site called "The Exquisite Corpse". This particular drawing is being done in ink and is about 11 x 17 inches (more or less). When I finish, I will upload the final image. The last two we did were colored images. I started one, and he started the other. I painted an abstract painting, very simple, then scanned it, and emailed it to Marcel. He then used a pen to draw a picture based on the color patterns. Since it was an Exquisite Corpse collaboration, he only drew one side, then covered it except for an inch wide strip and mailed it to me. I finished it up, took off the paper, then got to see the final image. We called this one "The Abyss of the Mind".

The Abyss of the Mind

Marcel also did a color image, emailed to me, and I did half, then mailed him the other half so he cold finish it up. Both of these two images turned out very nicely. In fact, one of them, "Just West of Eden", received a Daily Deviation on the Deviant Art web site and has already been viewed over 15,000 times on that site alone.

Just West of Eden

I got a better image of one of my latest pieces. I decided to call it "Vent", as in, the main figure appears to be "venting" or relieving himself of some sort of physical stress. This particular one is 24 x 24 inches in size. I did this one on birch plywood that I had primed with white latex paint. I then applied thinned acrylic paint. After it dried, I used a pen to pull out detail. I decided to leave some areas with no ink on this one.

Vent

New works in progress

2011-01-30T18:24:00.004-06:00

Been working on a few new color pieces lately. As with my recently finished "Manic Depression", I am doing these on primed birch plywood. I have a couple that I started with thinned acrylic paint and another with colored ink. I love putting random color down and then trying to draw something out of it with pens. I decided to put an unfinished one up to illustrate how I add detail to the colored areas. This particular one was done with colored inks and has a greenish overall tone. The green picture is 2 X 4 feet. The first section picture below is near the bottom of the image. You can see large uninked areas at this point. I also put up a couple of details of one of the acrylic ones I am working on.

Green Detail #1

Green Detail #2

Detail of acrylic-ink painting, as yet untitled

New mixed media drawing/painting finished

2010-12-04T15:49:00.003-06:00

I finally pretty much finished up a drawing that I started a year ago. Although I did not work on the picture everyday, it took a ton of time to finish. The image is 4 x 4 feet on a piece of plywood. I painted it first with white paint a couple of times, then randomly applied colored inks using various methods. Then, of course, I went back with rapidograph pens of a couple of different thicknesses to find and delineate weird stuff. The title of the drawing is "Manic Depression". Thus far, I have not been able to get a good image of the piece because it is pretty big and a bit shiny. I do have some images anyway that may give you an idea.

Manic Depression 4 x 4 feet

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3

Detail 4

I have some drawings in a couple of books

2010-12-04T15:13:00.006-06:00

I have a few drawings in a cool new book entitled "Visionary Art Yearbook: 2010-2011". Otto Rapp, who started the online group for Visionary artists, put this beautiful book together. The book includes works by artists from around the world. I have artwork on pages 37, 92, 142, 143 and the inside of the back of the dust jacket (the piece entitled Disintegration on page 142 was a collaboration between myself and Deb Valentine, although it was mislabeled and my name is not associated with it). This book can be purchased at the Blurb Online Bookstore.

I also have two collaborative drawings that I did with Bernard Dumaine of France in a book called Miximages, which is also for sale on the Blurb Online Bookstore. This book is an incredible compilation of many of Bernard's surreal collaborations that he has done with artists from around the world.

Energy Art Exhibition July - August 2010

2010-08-01T10:06:00.003-05:00

The opening reception for the Energy Art Movement's "Energizing Radiance" show on 9 July 2010 at Gallery Fifty Six on 2256 Central Ave., Memphis, TN went well. We had lots of folks show up for the opening, and several sales were made including my piece "Dreaming of Id"!

Dreaming of Id

The show is scheduled to come down next Tuesday, but several pieces in the show will remain in the gallery for an additional month including the other piece I had in the show, "Infinity". If you are in the area, please go by and check it out! For more info about the show go to my page about the show on my web site.

Energy Art Exhibit and New Collaboration Finished

2010-05-30T13:58:00.005-05:00

I will have two pieces of art, "Dreaming of Id" and "Infinity", in an upcoming group show put on by the Energy Art Movement. The show is entitled "Energizing Radiance" and it will be held at Gallery Fifty Six, 2256 Central Ave., Memphis, TN from 9 July - 3 August, 2010 with the opening reception from 5 to 8 PM on 9 July.

Dreaming of Id

Infinity

In other news, Soon Ee Ngoh, an art professor at Mississippi State University, and I just finished up a collaborative drawing entitled "Dacetine Radiation". This 22 X 22 inch pen drawing was done for the Artists Incentive Program at Mississippi State University and will hang in the Clay Lyle Building on the campus of MSU. I did the central portion with the circle and ants, and Soon Ee did the outside with the plants and other cool stuff.

Dacetine Radiation

2010 Cotton District Arts Festival Juried Art Competition

2010-04-22T19:06:00.005-05:00

I had two pieces of art, "Organic Cosmic Lock" and "Ossiforestation", accepted in this years Cotton District Arts Festival Juried Art Competition held in Starkville, MS on 17 April 2010. After the judging was over, I somehow managed to win Best of Show with "Organic Cosmic Lock" and first place in the painting/drawing division with "Ossiforestation"! Both awards included nice cash prizes too, so I was more than happy. In a student art competition held in conjunction with the festival, my son won first place in the photography divsion and an honorable mention in the art division for 8th and 9th grades.

Organic Cosmic Lock

Ossiforestation

I had my drawing "Echinodermatter" included in a compilation art book entitled "Imagine the Imagination: New Visions of Surrealism" published by Negoist Publishing Co. based out of Poland. The book includes works by 100 surreal artists from around the world. This is a very nice book, full of weirdness! The book can be ordered at http://shop.negoist.com/

Echinodermatter

Energy Art Salon Competition 2009

2009-10-16T21:21:00.005-05:00

I just found out that I was a primary finalist in the international online Energy Art Salon Competition 2009! As a result of this, my entry "Zabulation" with be included in the annual Energy Art Salon Exhibition at Murphy Hill Gallery located on the third floor of the historic Sears & Roebuck Bldg. at 3333 W Arthington St. Chicago, Illinois 60624, USA (http://www.murphyhillgallery.com/ ). The exhibition will run from Jan. 15 - Feb. 25, 2010.

Zabulation

Current exhibits and art news

2009-07-19T20:57:00.006-05:00

Things have been busy this summer - both at work and at home! Although I have been busy, I have also had time to be involved with some group exhibits. I had my painting "Ossiforestation" in the 18th Annual People's Choice Art Competition at the Meridian Museum of Art (MS). The show ran from 6 June through 11 July.

Ossiforrestation

I have a watercolor painting of a zebra swallowtail butterfly on display as part of a group exhibition at Greater Starkville Development Foundation Gallery, 200 Main Street, Starkville, MS. I also have prints of some of my weird drawings at the Creative Warehouse in downtown Starkville. Anyone interested should stop by and buy a print!

I have my drawing "Echinodermatter" in a really cool group show at the Sunrise Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA. The show, featuring international artists from the Energy Art Movement is entitled "Green Energy" runs from 11 July through 2 August, 2009. The show includes such notable artists as De Es Schwrtberger, Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffman, Giorgio Vaselli, and others. This same drawing will be included in an upcoming book including the works of 100 international artists. The book includes works of some of the members of the Surreal Arts and the International Imaginative Artist Association (IIAA), both hosted on Deviantart.com, and will be published by nEgoist publishing. This surrealist book collective will be entitled: Imagine the Imagination, New Visions of Surrealism.

Echinodermatter

New work, daily art fix, and exhibit over

2009-05-08T21:56:00.005-05:00

Features and Interviews

I was featured as the daily artist on "The Daily Art Fixx", on May 8, 2009! This web site features and writes about a different artist everyday. Very cool You can check my feature out at "Semi-Strange Art: Joe MacGown".

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by a new surreal collaborative group called the Collaborative Corpse. You can read the interview here: "Interview with club member Joe MacGown".

MacGown Exhibition in Eupora, MS is now Over

My one man show at the Bly Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS is now officially over. Overall, I thought the reception went well, and we had around 150 people show up! If the consumption of the vast quantities of food we had on hand was any indication, the event was a great success. Check out my page for more pictures and info on the show at MACGOWN - EUPORA ART EXHIBIT. Thanks for everybody who was able to make it to the opening and to others who saw the show later!

New painting/drawing finished

I just finished a new mixed media picture done in watercolor and ink on illustration board. I entitled it "Organic Cosmic Lock". Man, this thing took forever! Lots of wash layers, then lots of stipple and tiny crosshatches, then some more washes, then some ink. Anyway, here it is:

Upcoming show and 1st place in juried show

2009-04-21T16:45:00.003-05:00

MacGown Exhibition in Eupora, MS
Only a few more days until my one man show opens at the Bly Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS from 25 April to 2 May 2009! The reception will be on 25 April from 6 to 8 PM. Everything is framed and hanging. A print of my drawing "Infinity" is matted and framed and will be given away in a random drawing. The frame alone is worth a good bit, so come on out and maybe you will leave with a cool print!

First Place in painting and drawing division at Cotton District Arts Festival Juried Show
The Cotton District Arts Festival was held last Saturday 18 April 2009 in the Cotton District in Starkville, MS. This festival has grown and now is considered to be one of the major festivals of its type in the Southeast. Lots of music, art, good food, a 5K race, and much more. It was highlighted by the juried arts show, which was judged by Sanders McNeal from Jackson, MS. I had my piece entitled "Zabulation" accepted, and my wife Julie had a photograph entitled "Forgotten Moments" accepted. Zabulation won first place in the drawing and painting division!!

Zabulation

Landscapes Show at Greater Starkville Development Office
The landscape show (of which I have two pieces in) at the Greater Starkville Development Office at 200 Main Street in Starkville, MS will remain up for two more weeks. If you happen to be in downtown Starkville, stop by and view the wonderful artwork. It often surprises me how many talented artists we have in our community.

2009-04-12T21:54:00.003-05:00

Two weeks to my one man show opens at the Bly Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS from 25 April to 2 May 2009! The reception will be on 25 April from 6 to 8 PM. I have everything framed and ready to go. I also have some prints that I am planning on bringing by to sell, if anyone is interested. A print of my drawing "Infinity" is matted and framed and will be given away in a random drawing. The frame alone is worth a good bit, so come on out and maybe you will leave with a cool print!

The Cotton District Arts Festival will be held this coming Saturday 18 April 2009 in the Cotton District in Starkville, MS. This festival has grown and now is considered to be one of the major festivals of its type in the Southeast. Lots of music, art, good food, a 5K race, and much more. It is highlighted by the juried arts show, which will be judged by P. Sanders McNeal from Jackson, MS. I had my piece entitled "Zabulation" accepted, and my wife Julie had a photograph entitled "Forgotten Moments" accepted.

Zabulation

The landscape show (of which I have two pieces in) at the Greater Starkville Development Office at 200 Main Street in Starkville, MS will remain up for a few more weeks. If you happen to be in downtown Starkville, stop by and view the wonderful artwork. It often surprises me how many talented artists we have in our community.

Meridian Bi-State Art Competition

2009-03-21T22:20:00.006-05:00

We went to the reception for the Bi-state juried competition at the Meridian Museum of Art tonight (March 21, 2009) from 6-8 PM. This is a cool regional show open to Alabama and Mississippi artists. I was glad to have had both of the pieces, "Nine Panes of Thought" and "Cooperation", that I entered accepted. I won one of the three achievement awards with Nine Panes of Thought. There were also three merit awards and three purchase awards given, including the best of show purchase award. I was not eligible to win any of the purchase awards because I did not agree to sell my pieces for the purchase award amounts (if I were to have won), because the prizes was a fraction of the price of either of my drawings. Unfortunately, I did not know this at the time, otherwise I would have entered something of a more appropriate price. That was a bummer, and apparently I was not the only person who did not agree, but if I enter another year, I will know! And, either way, I won some money and can enter the same drawing in another show.

My one man show at the Bly Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS from 25 April to 2 May 2009 is soon approaching! The reception will be on 25 April from 6 to 8 PM. I have everything framed and ready to go. I also have some prints that I am planning on bringing by to sell, if anyone is interested. A print of my drawing "Infinity" is matted and framed and will be given away in a random drawing. The frame alone is worth a good bit, so come on out and maybe you will leave with a cool print!

The landscape show (of which I have two pieces in) at the Greater Starkville Development Office at 200 Main Street in Starkville, MS will remain up for a few more weeks. If you happen to be in downtown Starkville, stop by and view the wonderful artwork. It often surprises me how many talented artists we have in our community.

Joe MacGown Art News

2009-03-15T18:55:00.002-05:00

Getting closer and closer to my one man show at the Bly Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS from 25 April to 2 May 2009. The reception will be on 25 April from 6 to 8 PM. I have everything framed and ready to go. I also have some prints that I am planning on bringing by to sell, if anyone is interested. A print of my drawing "Infinity" is matted and framed and will be given away in a random drawing. The frame alone is worth a good bit, so come on out and maybe you will leave with a cool print!

The reception for the Bi-state juried competition at the Meridian Museum of Art will be next Saturday March 21 (2009) from 6-8 PM. For those in this area, this is a great show and there is always some good artwork to peruse. I highly recommend you make it to the opening, as a lot of the artists should be present. I was fortunate to have both of the pieces that I entered accepted. Maybe someone will buy one (or both), although, they are not really priced to sell!

The landscape show (of which I have two pieces in) at the Greater Starkville Development Office at 200 Main Street in Starkville, MS will remain up for a few more weeks. If you happen to be in downtown Starkville, stop by and view the wonderful artwork. It often surprises me how many talented artists we have in our community.

I started a new site where I can sell prints and offer originals for sale at Fine Art America. The site is quite professional, and I recommend it for those wanting to buy fine art prints or for artists wanting to show off their work and maybe sell some prints.

Vacation this week! We are going to spend a few days in a cabin at Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama. Plan on doing some hiking, maybe canoeing about in the lake, taking pictures, etc. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

I have been working two pieces lately that are taking some time. They are both watercolor and ink mixed media pieces. One is basically through and the other is close. I will upload them soon!

Upcoming MacGown Art News

2009-02-24T19:31:00.010-06:00

The Mississippi's Best Grassroots Concert and Art Show at Lee Hall at Mississippi State University on 10 February 2009 went well. There were tons of people present and I got to talk to a bunch of them. My art appeared to be well received, and I even had people hanging around for long periods of time checking it out. Because I was a participant, I had a backstage pass and had a chance to meet all of the musicians, including Paul Thorn, who has become an internationally known singer. For more info about the event, I have a site with some pictures up at: http://joemacgown.com/artexhibits/MississippiBestGrassrootsConcert.html

I just received news that the two pieces I submitted to the 36th annual Meridian Bi-State Art Competition at the Meridian Museum of Art (MS) were both accepted! This is a great show, and I was happy to hear they were accepted. Unfortunately, although my art will be on display during the duration of the show from March 14 - April 18, 2009, my art will not be judged for the best of show purchase award because the two pieces I entered are priced much higher than the amount of the purchase award. In not agreeing to sell the art in case it was to win, I forfeited the right to be included in the judging. It was a difficult decision, and I probably would have entered something different had I known about this in advance. Nevertheless, it is a great show and lots of people will be attending the opening.

I will have two landscapes on display in a group show at the Greater Starkville Development Foundation Gallery from 2 March through 1 May 2009. One of the paintings is an acrylic landscape called "A Cloudy Day in Sessums", and the other painting is a watercolor entitled "Tree in Winter". I am still trying to get ready for my upcoming one man exhibition at the Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS from 25 April to 2 May 2009. I also need to start thinking more about the reception on 25 April from 6 to 8 PM. Lots to do! Come to the show if you can!

I had three of my drawings published recently in an art and poetry book entitled "Harvests of New Millennium", which is published in India. The three pieces are "Infinity" , "Self Searching 5" , and "Facing the Future" . The book is a paperback on glossy paper, but is not as good quality as I had hoped. However, the artwork in it is wonderful, and I can tell you that I don't mind having art in the same book as Peter Gric and other comparably talented artists!

I am submitting three pieces to the Cotton District Arts Festival Juried Competition held in Starkville, MS on 18 April. I have had good luck in this show the last three years having won 3rd, 1st, and 2nd overall. This show has grown by leaps and bounds and now it has become a regional event. It has been named one of the 2009 top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. Of course, that means getting artwork accepted is much harder and means a lot more. Wish me luck. I will also be judging the High School Juried Art Show for the festival, which should prove challenging.

In other interesting news, I am on the senior thesis committee for an art student in the Mississippi State University Art Department. Although I am not associated with the art department in any way, both the student and his advising professor are apparently fans of my art work and wanted me on the committee. After two meetings so far, I am finding the experience to be quite rewarding, and hopefully my input has some meaning!

Upcoming Exhibition at the Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS

2009-01-22T21:50:00.006-06:00

My next show will be a one man exhibition at the Fine Arts Center in Eupora, MS. The show will be from 25 April to 2 May 2009 with an opening reception on 25 April from 6 to 8 PM. I plan on having at least 40 framed drawings in the show, and maybe more depending on what I can fit in. I will also have some prints for sale. I plan on giving away a framed print of "Infinity" (see the picture above) in a random drawing. I hope to get lots of people from Starkville to make it to the show, as Eupora is a small town. However, they do have a gallery, so that is definitely a step in the right direction!

In other news, I just found out I will be one of the featured artists at an event at Mississippi State University called "Mississippi's Best Grassroots Concert." The event is from 6 to 9 PM on 10 February 2009 at Lee Hall on the MSU campus, and it is free. Various artists in the region will have several pieces of their artwork on display for that time period with the first hour devoted to viewing the art, and the remaining two hours will be filled with some of the best music from north MS. The music will include a variety of genres having origins in our region including blues, bluegrass, jazz, gospel, and other styles.

My current show at the Meridian Museum of Art and other news

2009-01-17T21:42:00.006-06:00

My 2-man show with Cetin Oguz at the Meridian Museum of Art is up for two more weeks. The opening on January 3 went well, especially considering the fact that it was raining like crazy! I was fortunate to have a nice contingent of people from my home town of Starkville make the trip to Meridian just to see the show. Thanks guys! The response from viewers was great, and I had tons of questions asked. Additionally, both Cetin and I gave a short talk about our art with a questions and answers session. Although, I did not list prices on my work at this show, I still managed to make a nice sale of my drawing "In the Beginning"! I met some wonderful people at the show who showed great interest in my art, and all and all it was a wonderful event. For more info and some photos of the show go to my web page about the show (link).

I had a couple of wonderful write-ups about me and my art in the Columbus Dispatch and Starkville Daily news. The Starkville paper was especially nice because I was on the front page in full color! Very cool.

In other news, I donated a framed print to our local arts council fund-raiser auction (the Starkville Area Arts Council) where we raised over $10,000! The awareness of the arts in our relatively small town has really increased in recent years. I also have some prints on display and for sale at the Creative Warehouse in Starkville (MS). If you are in town, check them out! This week I framed two drawings and am finishing another that I still need to frame for an upcoming International Imaginative Arts Association (IIAA) group show in Los Angeles that should be opening hopefully sometime in the spring. I have a big one man show coming up in late March at the Fine Arts Center in downtown Eupora, MS. This is a small MS town, but yet another one focusing on the arts. I was able to get a grant from the Mississippi Endowment of the Arts to help pay for framing for this show. I hope to have a good crowd on hand and in addition to the original artwork, I will have prints for sale. I hope to enter at least one, and maybe two new works in the upcoming Cotton District Arts Festival juried show in April. This is a wonderful event with many great artists from the Southeast competing for cash prizes. The last three years have been good for me there as I have placed 3rd, 1st, and 2nd overall during that span! I also plan on entering two pieces in the Meridian Museum of Art Bi-State Juried Competition this spring.

MacGown and Oguz Art Exhibition at Meridian Museum of Art

2008-11-29T22:40:00.003-06:00

Well, it is definite now. I will be having a two-man show with Cetin Oguz, an art professor at Delta State University, at the Meridian Museum of Art from January 3-31 2009 with an opening reception on January 3rd from 6-8 PM. I will have two gallery rooms to exhibit my surrealistic art. I plan on having between 60 and 70 framed drawings and mixed media images. My artwork should work well with that of Cetin's. His works are somewhat abstract mixed media representations of his beliefs, history, and ideas and perceptions of life.

Upcoming art show and recent news

2008-10-06T20:08:00.002-05:00

6 Oct 2008,

My art show at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, MS went well. Lots of folks attended the reception, and I got a chance to talk to a bunch of them about my art. As result of this show, I am now going to be part of a three man show at the Meridian Museum of Art opening on January 3rd, 2009! I will be able to include even more pieces in this show than in the show at Scooba. The gallery features 3 large exhibition rooms on the first floor and one larger room on the second floor. The other two artists and myself will each have one of the rooms on the first floor to display our artwork. This is very exciting, as Meridian has a large group of people who support the arts. I will update this when I get more information.

In other news, I was volunteered to be the assistant coach for the newly formed 7th - 9th grade cross country team at Starkville Academy. My son Joseph is in 7th grade and is on the team. We are an exceptionally young and inexperienced team, but the kids are making great headway and are getting in much better shape. They did exceptionally well at our last meet hosted by Pickens Academy in Alabama. Joseph won the junior varsity (junior high) boys division and our other junior high boy came in 2nd place. Our only junior high girl entry took 3rd place. We had four varsity girls in the top ten and their team came in 2nd place, and we had one varsity boy in the top ten.

Joseph won 3rd place in a photo contest at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge for a photo of a buckey butterfly he took! He also won first place in an art show at the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point, MS earlier in September in the 7th - 9th grade division!

MacGown Art Show-EMCC 17 Sept. - 8 Oct. 2008

2008-08-30T19:43:00.005-05:00

I will be having an art show at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) at Scooba, MS from 17 September through 8 October 2008 with an opening reception from 2-3 PM on 17 September. This show will feature a selection of my detailed surreal art, probably about 20 pieces in all. The show will be in room 25 of Aust Hall. The community college is about 50 miles south of Starkville on Hwy 45 Alt. At Scooba, MS, take the exit for Scooba/East Mississippi Community College at Hwy 16. Continue down Hwy 16 for just over a mile then take a right at the entrance to the campus under the large archway. Go straight through the campus until dead-ending in the parking lot for Aust Hall, the art department. Everyone is welcome to attend the opening and I look forward to seeing you there! A write up about the show can be found at the EMCC web site- MacGown Art Show at EMCC.

My recent and upcoming shows

2008-07-21T21:54:00.000-05:00

***July 13, 2008*** I will be having a one man show in the relatively new Eupora Fine Arts Center this coming spring (2009). I am hoping to have at least 40 of my semi strange, very detailed, pen and ink, surreal works framed for this show. Dates are still tentative, but it should be in late March through mid April. I will post details concerning the exact dates and the opening date when I have that information. This gallery is an old downtown building, which is basically an elongate, rustic structure with brick and old wood. It is not a lot to look at, but it has two really long walls perfect for hanging lots of art! Hopefully, I can have a good turnout to the opening. I am getting great support for this show from Mark Wood, the owner of the Chalet, a local frame/art supply store here in Starkville, MS. Mark has been of great help in the framing/matting process, and I highly recommend anyone needing high quality framing or printing from this area to vist the "Chalet". This show is going to be of incredible quality (at least the frames) due to my works being framed and matted there. Addtionally, I recently received an artist's minigrant from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment of the Arts to help pay for various expenses for the show.

Last night I went to the closing reception for the People's choice Competition at the Meridian Museum of Art (here in Mississippi) where I had entered my drawing "Nine Panes of Thought." This contest is a bit unusual in that the viewers vote for their favorite works. This is a large show with entries from several southeastern states, all of which were of high quality. Needless to say, I was happy to learn that I won first place in the drawing/print category! The best of show went to a very nice oil paint portrait of an old man done by a local artist from Meridian. I was more than content considering I am not from Meridian and did not have any friends there who could vote for me. I also met some good contacts and it sounds like I may have lined up a couple of gallery showings for the future with at least two of them.

April 21. Well, I managed to land second place in the Cotton District Juried Art Show in Starkville, MS with "Nine Panes of Thought." As in the previous couple of years that I have entered this cometition, mine was the weirdest stuff in the show! I have had pretty good luck with this show, having won 3rd place two years ago, 1st last year, and now second. It has developed into a very competitive show with lots of entries from the region. Not only that, there are no categories; therefore, you are competing with sculpture, photography, paintings, etc. So, I was quite happy with second place! Some of my local supporters were less happy and actually complained that my stuff was clearly the best and that the reason I didn't get first was that I had won the year before. I appreciated their sentiment, but didn't agree as all of the art in the show was very good. In fact, I would hate to judge a show like this, and I realize that it must be exceedingly difficult to pick winners from such a diverse assortment of artists. The winning piece was a wonderfully rendered pastel drawing of a manufacturing plant done by Michael Maxwell, from Oxford, Mississippi. Third place went to some ceramic work done by Robert Long, a pottery/ceramic professor at Mississippi State University. And of course, there were honorable mentions and some merit prizes for several others....