AiPP -  Insects and Interdimensional Beings: 
Detailed Drawings by Joe MacGown

The Starkville Area Arts Council is excited to announce our next Art in Public Places (AiPP) Exhibit of 2023, a solo exhibit featuring works by Joe MacGown.

This exhibit will be on display in-person and online from September 18 to November 6, 2023 in the Starkville Area Arts Council's main gallery in Downtown Starkville.

Please join us for an Opening Reception on September 28, at 5:30 pm at Starkville Area Arts Council (122 E Main St) to celebrate this exhibit. See you there!

Works may be for sale. If you are interested in purchasing any of these works, please continue reading below.

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Bio/Artist Statement

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, TN; San Francisco, CA; Washington DC; 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 Joe 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 and with support from the Mississippi Arts Commission. Artists stay in a guest cabin for 2 to 4 weeks while creating work and working with the MacGowns in various ways. 

http://joemacgown.com
https://www.facebook.com/MacGownArt 
​https://www.instagram.com/macgown_art/

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​Works on display in-person until November 6, 2023.

Hover or click on images below to view title, medium, and pricing. Click image to view fullscreen.
Please CALL OR EMAIL SAAC (info at bottom of this page) if interested in purchasing available works.

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About AiPP

As part of SAAC's AiPP series, works may be listed for sale, including framed and unframed pieces. SAAC collects and pays sales taxes on behalf of the artist for any work sold, and the artist keeps 80% of the proceeds. ​

Please CALL or EMAIL SAAC if you are interested in purchasing any of these works.