Mandy McGee
Profession:
Creative Designer & Marketing Coordinator
How long have you been a member of AcA?
Since 2022
Are you on the AcA Board and/or a Committee? If so, please expand. If not, would you like to be considered for a Board or Committee position?
I’m an employee, baby! So I also get to be an Insider Member!
What books are you reading right now?
Oh Crap! Potty Training! (send help)
What music are you listening to right now?
Oh this is a big question for me. I’m in a bit of music exploration. At this very moment, Pavement. I’ve been on a heavy Cardigans kick this year. Lovefool is my all-time favorite song, but I firmly believe their entire catalog is severely under appreciated. In general, I’ve been on a rotation of Radiohead, MJ Lenderman, Wilco or some kind of indie like Big Thief or M. Ward. Honorable mention for Good Morning, Whitney, and Hey Cowboy!.
Do you have a hobby or craft that fills your spare time?
SO MANY. If my music answer didn’t give the clue, I’m a bit of an everything all at once person. My main crafts have been sewing & ceramics. Shout out to AcA barista, Hope! I’ve been taking her class at Scrappie for a couple months and I’m in love. Longest running hobby of several years (very impressive if you know me) has been film photography! I’m hoping this coming year will be a revival of painting.
What was the first concert you ever attended?
I think it was Third Eye Blind, ha! Second was Dawes before they were big. Such a cool show!
Tell us about your favorite vacation or place you’ve traveled to.
When I was 15, I got to go to Europe on a tour for 21 days. Actually such an insane experience! It was meant to be my brother’s graduation gift from my grandpa. He had a girlfriend he couldn’t bare to part with at the time, so I got to go in his place. The places I loved the most were a small beach town in Italy that we only stopped in for a night, Switzerland, Austria, Amsterdam, and Spain. I got to go back to Amsterdam just a few years ago to meet my husband, Jim, on the final leg of his tour with Brother Dege. I’m really glad to have those memories with them now that Dege has passed.
What is your ‘perfect night out’?
Seeing a live band with friends and maybe heading back to a house to play some games & laugh together!
Have you lived outside of Acadiana? If so, where? What makes Acadiana special to you?
I’m actually from waaaaaay West Texas! I moved her in 2013 with my family. I didn’t ever think I would stay, but I’ve really come to appreciate Lafayette. It really is such a little gem. The amount of creativity in this one little place is amazing. I moved a ton as a kid and never found “home” in west Texas, so I’ve really come to realize that you can choose your home. You don’t necessarily have to be born somewhere to be “from” there. You can develop roots as an adult. It wasn’t always easy, but I do feel like I’ve found a sense of place here and I have such an admiration for the culture and people.
What are some of your favorite places to visit or frequent in Acadiana?
I love the downtown businesses so much! I’m a big fan of Carpe and Black coffee. I love to frequent all of our thrift stores and antique shops. Moncus Park is a big hit for us, especially with our two year old. I’ve been spending lots of time at Scrappie for the classes! Their shop is great too. For shows, I think my favorite venue is Blue Moon! It just feels really comfortable to me and I have a ton of great memories. And of course, I’m at AcA everyday 😉
Tell us about an accomplishment you’re especially proud of.
Maybe its a cheesy answer, but I’m very proud of my daughter.
Are you an artist? If so, what mediums do you work in?
I really want to think of myself as an artist, but I’ve never been great at finishing or being open about it. I tend to to be interested in too much to truly focus on one thing. I’ve always been a musician and that’s the most natural to me. I’m a singer and I play guitar!
In visual art, I’m drawn to drawing, painting, and photography. I picked up some oil pastels at Scrappie that I’m super excited to try!
Tell us about some of your creative inspirations.
Musically, I find a lot of inspiration in folk and indie music. Sad girl anything! I love rock also. Honestly, I’ve been feeling the most inspired by people I’ve met or am surrounded by in Acadiana. I have a few coworkers that inspire me daily to put art and music at the forefront. My friends are so, so talented and I get to meet and work with such amazing people. I don’t have to look far!
Do you have any artistic or creative goals for the upcoming year?
I really want to find a creative practice and budget my time better as a working mom! I’d really love to finish some things & start sharing them.
What art forms are you most drawn to (even if you’re not a practicing artist)?
Examples can include visual arts, live music, theater/dance, film, literature, culinary arts, photography, public art, cultural traditions, etc.
Visual arts, music, photography! but also everything anywhere all the time, I love seeing what people create in any form 🙂
Summarize what you do for work.
I make pictures.
What do you love most about your job or company?
The people!!!!
If you could mentor someone entering your field, what advice would you give?
Embrace feedback and learn to re-define what failure means to you. Creating for a job can be challenging. Learning to communicate and implement feedback without letting it hurt your self esteem will be the most important skill! It’s definitely a practice 🙂
What industry publications, podcasts, or resources do you follow?
I’m actually searching for some new resources! I love to follow fellow designers and look at design publications for the 60-70s. I would really love to find some fresh resources though!
Why did you join AcA, and do you remember your first AcA experience?
My first experience with AcA was years ago! My grandpa brought me to see films from the Cane Fire Film Series that AcA used to have. I LOVED it.
What has been your favorite performance or event hosted by AcA?
I’m the WORST at picking favorites! One of my favorite moments was hearing Lucinda Williams sing “Fruits Of My Labor” and “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road” live. I’ve seen some really amazing things here, though!
Tell us about your favorite part of AcA membership.
The membership manager, Allison <3 <3 and the amazing events she puts on like the Salons!
What is an AcA tradition, program, or annual event you look forward to every year?
This is a bit of an employee flex, but I love our birthday parties! We get to hang out together without the pressure of work and it’s always a blast.
What’s the most memorable artist talk, workshop, or gallery opening you’ve attended at AcA?
I reaaaaally loved Sara Hardin’s exhibit in the Side Gallery. It was incredible! I find a lot of inspiration in her pieces. One of my favorite pre-employee exhibits was Stephanie Patton’s. It’s incredibly hard to choose. I’ve learned about some amazing artists just by working here! Jaik truly does such an incredible job.
Has a particular artist, performer, or exhibition at AcA inspired you in a meaningful way? If so, tell us about it!
Sara Hardin’s! I loved her technique and the stream of consciousness feel that so many of her paintings have. Her color choices are incredible. I didn’t get to go the show, but I did sneak into sound check for K.C. Jones show! She really inspires me as a musician and singer.
What excites you most about AcA’s future or our upcoming projects/initiatives?
I’m super excited about the expansion of our Arts in Education department! Knowing so many more kids will be impacted each year is SO rewarding. The AiE department works so, so hard and makes such a big difference in our community.
What types of programs or events would you love to see more of at AcA?
I would love more creatively driven artist networking events like Creative Acadiana puts on! I attended a figure drawing night and it was so much fun.
If you could bring any performer, speaker, or artist to the AcA stage, who would it be?
There are SO many, ha! I think we could totally get MJ Lenderman here! It would be amazing to see Julia Jacklin or Big Thief here. Or an intimate show with a great like Gillian Welch!
