Meet Stephanie Mcgovern

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephanie Mcgovern. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Stephanie with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I attribute my work ethic to the teachings of my mother and late father.

My father spent his adulthood dedicated to supporting our family, working long, exhausting hours as a truck driver. Growing up I watched him struggle mentally and physically, through work-related injuries, surgeries and long, bedridden spells. During those tough times he always remained supportive and encouraging to everyone around him, despite the major unknowns around our finances. There were many times my mother stepped in to help support us, while raising both my brother and I full-time, and acting as my father’s caretaker.

Their sacrifices never fell short on me, and from a young age I became intent on making great use of the opportunities they fought to give our family.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I generally describe myself as an interdisciplinary artist because I truly love and appreciate all forms of art making, and I always find myself drifting back into the flow of experimentation.

Professionally I’m trained as a weaver, but I also sculpt, paint, collage and create videos. I am also a performance artist and have been performing in NYC since 2017.

Material is incredibly important in my practice and drives the way I make and see an artwork.
I have an infatuation with used objects and materials. About 90% of the work I make consists of reused materials from up-cycling centers or salvaged from friends and family members. I’m particularly drawn to materials that could be coded as “female,” such as bra trimmings, lace, jewelry, lingerie or porcelain.

Through the process of collecting and assembling, I’m looking to explore the subjective meaning that everyday objects in Western society communicate to us regarding the female experience. I find that reframing objects of consumption, or bringing raw materials together in mass, tells me something about the way women are expected to live, behave or present themselves—and also reveals something about myself.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think being thorough, proactive and persistent are incredibly important. You need to have the will and determination to stick with a creative pursuit through the long haul. Life truly happens on its own terms, and having your passion to carry you through those times can be the best motivator in life. Being thorough really helped me (and still does) to gain the trust of those who I work with professionally. It helped me to build reliability and open doors to new opportunities. Being a visual artist is a lifelong process, but it’s also exciting—you never know where it might take you.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

There isn’t just one person in particular who has helped me most, but rather many small moments over the past 15 years where I couldn’t take the next step without the help of someone in my immediate community. The only way to get anywhere in life is one-step-at-a-time, and I’m always focused on what that next best step looks like.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photo credits: Natalia Neuhaus, Georgette Maniatis and Nico James.

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