LUSO-American Surrealism in the 21st Century Exhibition in Starkville, MS

From January 21 to February 19, 2016 a unique and wonderful exhibition of surreal art will be on display at the Cullis Wade Depot Gallery at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS. This show will feature art by several notable artists who are part of a larger group called "International Surrealism Now," and who all regularly exhibit their works internationally.  The name "LUSO" in the exhibition title refers to the Portuguese artists who are part of this show, and "American" to the remaining artists who are from the USA. A reception will be held on January 21st at 5 PM. Joe A. MacGown, a member of the group and resident of Starkville and Shahla Rosa of California, are co-organizers of the show and both will be present for the reception. Additionally, Shahla will give a gallery talk at noon on Friday, January 22nd.

Poster for the show, designed by Lori Neuenfeldt

Artists
Members of the "International Surrealism Now" group exhibiting at MSU include seven American artists: Jay Garfinkle, France Garrido, Joe A. MacGown, KD Matheson, Patrick McGrath Muniz, Shahla Rosa, and Olga Speigel; and four Portuguese artists: Victor Lages, Santiago Ribeiro, Paula Rosa, and Francisco Urbano.  Additionally, several local Mississippi artists will be exhibiting their works including Laurie Burton, Ben Grace, Brad Luke, Joseph H. MacGown, Randi Watson, and Gerard Woods (the latter four are all MSU students).

During the exhibition, a huge surrealistic, collaborative pen drawing featuring the work of several artists from multiple states and countries will be displayed. Artists who have contributed to the piece include Joe A. MacGown, Ben Tolman, Joseph H. MacGown, Julianne MacGown, Chloe Marsters, Marnie Pitts, Otto Rapp, Paulo Cunha, Pizo Meyer, Ryan Thornburg, Zachary Nolin, Marcel Bakker, Deborah Valentine, and Alex Bostic. This drawing is one of four large pieces done for a collaborative endeavor started by Washington DC artist Ben Tolman and continued by Joe MacGown, and is entitled the Antipodes Project.

Lori Neuenfeldt - Gallery Director
Matthew Gordon - Exhibition Coordinator
Joe MacGown - Exhibition organizer/curator and International Surrealism Now representative
Shahla Rosa - Exhibition organizer/curator and International Surrealism Now representative
Santiago Ribeiro - International Surrealism Now founder

Support for this Exhibition has been provided by:
Mississippi State University College of Architecture, Art and Design
Holmes Cultural Diversity Center
Chalet Arts, Starkville, MS

View of the Cullis Wade Depot Gallery (upstairs) and Mississippi State Welcome Center (downstairs) 

Poignant Translations of Life in Mississippi - Three Person Show at Jones County Junior College in January

From 25 January to 22 February 2016, Laurie Burton, Joseph H. MacGown (my son), and I will have a surreal exhibition at the Eula Bass Lewis Gallery at Jones County Junior College in Jones County, Mississippi. There will a reception of sorts and I will give some kind of gallery talk at a date not yet finalized, but likely on a Tuesday afternoon.

3D work by Laurie Burton

Mark Brown, an exciting artist specializing in making art from found objects, is an award winning instructor at the school, and it was he who invited us to show our work there. Our works, although done in different media and executed in different styles, are all surrealistic in nature ranging from Laurie's strange and often poignant 3D pieces, to Joseph's raw, colorful, expressive pieces to my more detailed subconscious inspired surreal pieces.

March Madness, by Joe A. MacGown

A colorful piece by Joseph H. MacGown

Upcoming shows and other news

Pagan Totem Goddess wins award at BiState Competition at Meridian Museum of Art

The Bi-State Juried Exhibition held at the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian, MS is a wonderful  juried competition that showcases some of the best artists in Alabama and Mississippi. And with cash awards, its no wonder that just getting accepted in the show is an honor. Brian Kelly,  Head of the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, was this year's juror. 

I entered one piece in the show this year, "Pagan Totem Goddess", which, I am happy to say, won and achievement award, which works out to second place basically and included a nice check! 

SAAC Abstract Exhibition on display until November 9th in Starkville, MS

We recently had the reception for our annual abstract show in Starkville, MS at the Greater Starkville Development Partnership office (GSDP). Because our local arts council does not have a gallery, we are fortunate that the GSDP allows us to put up exhibits here throughout the year! Thanks! We are also very thankful to Mark Wood, owner of Chalet Arts, who continues to provide printing services for our posters and mailing cards, as well as helping local artist find framing solutions. Turnout for the reception was smaller than I would have liked, but it was and is a beautiful show. Some truly amazing art! Its a wonderful thing that we have so many talented artist in such a small area. I had very pleased that we had four college students (Sarah Dutton, Gerard Woods, Randi Watson, and my son Joseph MacGown) put art in the show too!

SAAC Holiday Showcase Exhibition coming up in Starkville, MS

Our annual Holiday Showcase Exhibition is coming up and will be installed at the GSDP office on November 9th. Submissions are still open until October 30. We will have a reception for this show on Thursday, December 3, from 5:30 to 7 PM with wine and refreshments. This is always a great show and just in time for Christmas. The show will be up until January 11, 2016, but purchasers can take their newly bought art home with them if they need them for gifts.

LUSO - AMERICAN SURREALISM of the 21st Century: Mississippi State, MS
Cullis Wade Depot, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, January 11 to February 2016

The LUSO-America Surrealism of the 21st Century exhibition will feature the surreal works of six notable US artists and four Portuguese artists, as well as a few local Mississippi artists including some MSU art students. It will be held at the Cullis Wade Depot Gallery located above the welcome center at the Barnes and Noble building on the Mississippi State campus from January 11 to February 28, 2016. A reception is planned for 5 to 7 PM on Thursday, 21 January 2016.

This group was started by Santiago Ribeiro of Portugal (http://santiagoribeiropainting.blogspot.com/), a fantastic surrealist. Shahla Rosa (http://www.shahlarosa.com/), a noted artist now residing in Los Angeles, has been a driving force in bringing members of the group to the US.

The primary members of the group exhibiting at MSU will include six American artists (France Garrido, Joe A. MacGown, K.D. Matheson, Patrick McGrath Muniz, Shahla Rosa, and Olga Spiegel) and four Portuguese artists ( Victor Lages, Santiago Ribeiro, Paula Rosa, and Francisco Urbano), all of who regularly exhibit their artwork internationally. Other local artists who will be exhibiting include Joseph MacGown, Randi Watson, Gerard Woods, Brad Luke, and others.

For more info, check out our FaceBook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/471409159728465/

Aging Leda in the Turkish Bath by Shahla Rosa

Progress on the Antipodes Project

The Antipodes Project is a collaborative art project that Ben Tolman started. Basically, we work with 005 micron pens on 11 X 14 in pieces of Bristol paper to create super detailed weirdness! The panels are put together to create large pieces. Many very talented artists from around the world are working with together on the project, and we are still looking for more artists to contribute. Currently, two projects are completed and two more are close to fruition. Read more about our extraordinary group on our FB page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/417925438379842/ 

The project that is in my possession will be on display at the LUSO American Exhibition at Mississippi State in January, and all four projects will be shown at the Fridge Gallery in DC July 2-31, 2016. More details later. Visit their fb page at https://m.facebook.com/TheFridgeDC…. 

A quick phone capture of Project 4 which now includes 16 11X14 inch panels, with 4 more being adding to the left side! 

Columbus Arts Walk and Prairie Arts Festival 2015

Well, I will have art, both originals and prints, available for sale at the Columbus Arts Walk in Columbus, MS on September 3rd and at the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point, MS on Saturday, September 5th. Thanks much to Allen and Mark at Chalet Arts for printing these awesome archival prints and books! They look great and have colors that will last longer than any of us.

Random art picts from my studio

Art, yep 

Typically, I don't do these art festival things, because its a lot of work to get ready and the weather is iffy at best. But, I had some reasonable success at the West Point and Starkville Arts Walks earlier in the summer, which was cool, so yeah. Plus, my son Joseph has been doing some trippy art stuff and has made various small prints and cards, as well as a few originals, and he wants to see what its like to set up a booth at a festival and try to sell art. So, he will be joining me for sure in West Point, and maybe in Columbus.

Some of Joseph's trippy prints and cards ready to go. 

For the Columbus Arts Walk, I will be set up at Blades Hair Design on 5th Street on Thursday, Sept. 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. My last adventure in West Point was also at a hair salon, and it went quite well! So, hoping this will also be fruitful.

Some of my prints 

Then, just two days later, we will pack up our tent and art stuff to set up in the park in West Point, MS for the Prairie Arts Festival. Looking at the map, I have to say they hooked me up with a pretty good spot in the main park area. As an artist in the festival, I also can be part of of the juried show. Cool.

piles of unfinished stuff

Yes, please come see both of us at these two upcoming venues and buy our cards, prints, originals, and or my book. Joseph may also have a few of his CDs available for sale as well. At least come by and hang out with us. 

Meridian Museum of Art's Annual Bi-State Juried Exhibition

The Bi-State Juried Exhibition held at the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian, MS offers over $3,000 in awards including $1,000 for Best of Show! This exhibition showcases contemporary artists in Mississippi and Alabama. The exhibition will run from August 19 to October 17 with the Awards Reception on Saturday, October 17 from 6 to 8 pm.

This year's juror is Brian Kelly who has an M.F.A. in printmaking from Louisiana State University, a B.F.A. in printmaking from Northern Illinois, and various other awesome credentials. Currently, he is Head of the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has conducted workshops, lectured, and exhibited around the world.

I entered one piece in the show this year, "Pagan Totem Goddess", which, I am happy to say, was accepted! This is a pretty trippy picture, and I hope people enjoy it.

Here is a complete list of the artists whose works were accepted for the show. 

Adrienne Callander

Amy Pirkle

Andrea Kostyal

Barbara Parrish

Charlotte Wegrznowski

Dan Piersol

David Howell

Don Norris

Elaine Shields

Erin Hardin

George Brown

Jill Hammes

Joe MacGown

Julia W. Gary

Julie Plasketes

Kyle Braund

Lisa Spinks

Margaret Gluhman

Martha Hopkins

Maureen Donnelly

Randy Shoults

Rick Anderson

Rowan Haug

Sabyna Sterrett

Sarah Dunn

Shea Goff

Shu H. Chang

Susa Nawrocki

Susan Ingram

Teresa Rodriguez

Thomas Nawrocki

Wanda Sullivan

William T. Dooley

Plein Air Exhibition, downtown Starkville, MS coming up!

The Starkville Area Arts Council is hosting an exhibition featuring "Plein Air" paintings created by local artists during group painting sessions in Starkville this summer

The show will be held at the Greater Starkville Development Partnership on 200 Main Street in Starkville, MS and will run from July 14 – September 14, 2015. Reception date to come. 

Local artists participating include Briar Jones, Kathryn Ramsey, Joe MacGown Betty Jane Chatham, Walter Diehl, Fay H. Fisher, Jim Turner, Laurie Burton and others. This is will be a very nice show with beautiful, fresh paintings done locally. All works will be for sale and affordable! Remember, 20% of all sales go to the SAAC! 

This exhibition was supported by the Mississippi Arts Commission, The National Endowment of the Arts, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and Chalet Arts.

Purple Building in the Cotton District by Briar Jones

A view of the South Farm by Briar Jones

Betty Jane's yard, by Joe MacGown

Tree in Betty Jane's yard, by Joe MacGown

Reflections, photo by Walter Diehl

Flower in Turners Yard, by Kathryn Ramsey

Cotton District, by Fay Fisher

2014 CDAF Juried Art Winners Exhibition Reception was a packed house

We had the reception for our three person show this past Thursday night that featured the winners of the 2014 Cotton District Arts Festival Juried Competition winners. Suzanne McClain was the first place winner in the photography division, Mark Brown was first in the 3D division, and I was first in the painting/drawing division and I was also the best of show winner.

So cool, yep, this show featuring some of each of our works has been on display for a month or so and will stay up until July 13th. We had lots of stuff going on when the show went up, so we post phoned the opening reception until the 25th of June. No problem. In fact, it ended up being held in conjunction with an event called "UnWine" that basically entails about 200 people (mostly women) going from shop to shop drinking wine.  Awesome.

Anyway, the reception was nice. Good snacks, wine, lots of folks checking out the art. Yay! :) Thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers who make these shows possible, to the GSDP Office for letting us host shows here, and for support from the Mississippi Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts,  and Chalet Arts.

Here are few pictures from the show. Enjoy.

MacGown in Upcoming Art Walks in West Point and Starkville, MS

ART WALK 2015

10 AM to 2 PM, downtown West Point, MS at "The Bink"!!!

Yep, Art Walk in downtown West Point this Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. Lots of artists including me will be taking over businesses located on Commerce Street and the surrounding area to sell and display their wares. Both inside and on the sidewalks. I will be inside the hair salon, The Bink. Come see me. I will have copies of my art book for sale ($40) about 100 pages and full of art, various sizes of prints, and some originals. My prints and books were printed by Chalet Arts. The book is soft cover, and the print quality is excellent! Yes.

Me with my book. Get a signed copy! $40! It like getting a bunch of small prints for only 40 bucks!!!

I will have prints ranging from 5 X 7 inches to 24 X 30 inches with prices from $5 to $100. Originals will be much higher, of course :) Here are a few examples of prints that I will have.

"Convergence" The original is currently featured in an international group show in Dallas, TX

Reproductions of this collaborative piece I did with Gromyko Semper, an artist from the Philippines

Organic Cosmic Lock. The original was featured as part of a group show in Chicago, IL

Zabulation, the original of which is currently in Dallas at a major show

Green Silence. Was done for the back of a CD featuring a variety of international trance groups. Next, it will be featured in an upcoming book, "The Encyclopedia of Fernal Affairs. 

Inquistive Fish. The original was recently purchased by the East Mississippi Community College Art Dept.

 Starkville Art Walk 2015

10 AM to 2 PM, downtown Starkville, MS at "The Book Mart"!!!

Well, heck. Starkville is also doing an art walk! That's right, from 10 AM to 2 PM on May 2nd, 2015. The weekend after the one in West Point. For the most part, we will have a different array of artists at the Starkville Art Walk, with, of course some overlap. Please come out and join us and support both the Starkville Area Arts Council and our local artists (INCLUDING ME). Thanks! I will be located with my art in the Book Mart with two other local artists, Laurie Parker and Duane Lyon. As at the West Point Art Walk, I will  have copies of my book, prints, and a few originals for sale...Come by and see us.

Me, posing with some expensive art. If you want this stuff, contact me!