The Massillon Museum will exhibit photography by Ish Ishmael, Manifestations of the Dystopian Reverie, from September 30 through November 12, 2023, in Studio M. A free public reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, November 4, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A MassMusings podcast with the artist will be posted at 12:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, October 10, on the Museum's website and Spotify.
 
Born in 1982 and raised in the Midwest Rust Belt, Ish Ishmael is a documentary-style photographer, an installation artist, and a vagabond. Infatuated with exploring the diverse approaches that humans take in late-stage capitalism, Ishmael traverses the arteries of the USA in her Toyota minivan, seeking disparate threads of commonality through the collective American dream. Ishmael weaves together conflating experiences between the lines of her vastly constructed boundaries. She holds a BFA from Seattle University and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
 
When visiting the Studio M exhibition, guests can also view John W. Carlson: Set the Twilight Reeling, Ten Point Perspective (through October 15), A Way to Win: Paul Brown’s Innovations, the Paul Brown/Massillon Tigers Football History Timeline, Precarious Legacies: Exposures of a Fleeting Landscape, the Immel Circus, the Local History Gallery, Innovators of Massillon, Ethiopian Expedition of 1903, First Peoples of North America, and the Albert E. Hise Fine and Decorative Arts Gallery.
 
Massillon Museum members have the opportunity to apply to exhibit their artwork in the Studio M Gallery on the second floor of the Museum. New members are welcome at any time. Exhibitions are celebrated by an artist’s reception, and the artists are featured guests on the Museum's podcast, MassMusings.  
 
The Massillon Museum appreciates operating support from the Ohio Arts Council and ArtsinStark, marketing support from Visit Canton, and the support of the citizens of Massillon. This exhibition is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
 
Exhibitions can be seen during regular MassMu hours, Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
 
MassMu is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. A visit is always free and everyone is welcome. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. For more information, call 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org.