Zoé Ishee
Zoé Ishee was a resident artist with us August 1–15, 2023
At the time of her residency at MARS in August of 2025, Zoé Ishee was a 20-year-old Artist & Student at Mississippi State University studying Cognitive Science, Psychology & Neuroscience. She graduated in May of 2025 and will be pursuing a PhD in psychology at the City University of New York beginning in the fall of 2025. Throughout her life, Zoé has had numerous expressive outlets including, but not limited to, music, Illustration, painting, etc. Early in her career, Zoé became recognizable for her curious & ludic illustrative portrayals of humanoid creatures, fondly referred to as "Mushroom" or "Troll" Men. Later, she began creating band release covers. She garnered a reputation for her affectionately "Weird" pieces, many of which include imagery of skeletons. Zoé designed the first annual Mississippi Maker's Fest Poster, Worked with Pacesetter Fine Arts Gallery in Jackson, MS since it's opening in 2022, enjoyed showings in galleries & museums across the South, lead workshops, roamed around countless art markets, & she is grateful to have made many valuable friends throughout the journey thus far.
Links to Social And Websites
OTHER MEDIA
Porch Talk (Podcast): https://open.spotify.com/episode/1G2em62016OzURP44Sj0pF
Commercial Dispatch (newspaper): https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/understanding-human-behavior-through-neuroscience-and-art/
Comments about the Residency by Zoé Ishee
"The experience I had at the Macgown Art Retreat (MARS) is one that I will always remember, as it supported and influenced my artistic career in many ways. The experiences I had during the 2 weeks I stayed in the MacGown’s artistic & eclectic cabin enriched my career as an Artist not only during my stay, but I believe indefinitely. During the time I was there, I was given creative freedom to create work for the entire time in a stress-free environment. The financial support provided by the Del Rendon Foundation helped tremendously, as I was able to set some real time aside from work to further fulfill my true life-long passion for creating art. An opportunity such as MARS is admittedly difficult to come by as a working Artist, especially at my age of 20 years old. I believe this is a particularly wonderful opportunity for my age group due to the busyness that comes with being a full-time student like myself, or for others that might be developing an early career. In the cabin, the nature-filled aspect of the property inspired a more visceral sense of calm & connectedness. In hindsight, I deeply appreciate the textures of the space more than I had originally noticed. I personally believe that the groundedness that the space provides inspires creativity to flow easily, which is a perk that is hard to come by in other art-business experiences.
Other opportunities, while wonderful, often involve more stress on the Artist in a business setting. I was grateful that at MARS I felt at home and welcomed both in the physical space as well as with the hosts. At MARS, I was given the opportunity to explore creativity in many ways. Another great aspect of this opportunity was being able to learn from Joe and Joseph MacGown while there. The MacGowns offered me many supplies and mediums to work with. They also introduced me to several resources in the surrounding area that I was not aware of. For example, Joseph MacGown showed me many places to receive art supplies and bulk magazines for collaging. He also introduced me to faculty at MSU that was willing to help me with any ceramic inquiries I might have. I was able to be inspired by the work they do on the property.
I found myself very inspired by the creative environment that I was surrounded with during my stay. The wonderful creative energy is palpable when you are at the MacGown’s cabin in particular. I found it to be an overall productive experience to be surrounded by literature, creative spirit, and motivating mentors.
I was also able to experience some great networking opportunities at MARS. I spoke with the Commercial Dispatch Newspaper and had a write up on my work published, which was very beneficial for my personal business and exposure. I also was able to participate in a podcast dedicated to my artwork and stay at MARS hosted by Alan Aldridge at Porch Talk. I was fortunate to be able to paint a mural inside of one of their spaces, as well as create art in a wide range of areas. To conclude my stay, the MacGowns arranged a gallery showing at the end of my second week with them. This was hosted at the Del Rendon Foundation Gallery space in Starkville. There was an excellent turnout, and it was a successful event that gave my work some great exposure. Overall, I had a wonderful time at the MacGown Art Residency, and definitely recommend this residency to other artists."
Zoé Ishee
7 September 2023