Dragons: Myth and Reality with Courtenay Compton McGowen ’58

Join us Thursday, February 3, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. ET for an alumni virtual talk with Courtenay Compton McGowen ’58, Dragons: Myth and Reality. Courtenay will explore the history of dragons worldwide and challenge us to question how these creatures of great mythological strength came to be. The dragon is the prototype of our most basic human fears, a universal archetype recognized by everyone. Dragons have enhanced artwork in a myriad of mediums around the globe. Variations of the basic theme reflect the beliefs of the cultures in which they functioned. The dragons of the West are compared to those of the East, using imagery from European, Ethiopian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other sources.

Courtenay refers to herself as a “recovering politician,” having served for eight years (four sessions) in the Nevada State Assembly prior to moving to Coronado. Since joining the Coronado community, she has served on a number of Boards and Commissions, including the Cultural Arts Commission, the Coronado Tourism Improvement District board, the Coronado Schools Foundation board, and the Coronado Historic Resource Commission as well as the Coronado Historical Association board. Across the bridge in San Diego, Courtenay has chaired the Asian Arts Council (AAC) of the San Diego Museum of Art, co-chaired Programs for the AAC, and is currently chairing the AAC Study Group. She served as chair of the board of Mingei International Museum for six years and is involved in many committees there. She also ran the Coronado Art Walk for the Coronado Historical Association for twelve years.

A collector of many things, Courtenay is especially fond of textiles, as witnessed by the show in 2017 of Kanthas she gifted to Mingei International Museum. Her other textile interests include both Naga and Turkoman traditions.

Courtenay received a BA from Finch College and an MA in Art History from Columbia University. Her son, Sean McGowen, carries on the tradition with an MA in Fine Arts from UC Santa Cruz, and now works for Jim Campbell, a well-known contemporary artist in San Francisco, Courtenay produces vegetables in the median strip between the sidewalk and the street, sharing tomatoes with the neighborhood in whatever spare time there is.