SUPERPOWER: Seeing the diamond in the rough
Executive Director, West Virginia Creative Network
When Renée Margocee flipped through the course catalog at Marshall University, she didn’t have to look far—”art” quickly caught her eye. Although she would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in English literature, it was clay that captured her heart. “It is organic, literally,” she says, “But it’s the meditative rhythm of working with clay—the slow process, the evolving stages—that’s what I fell in love with.”
Margocee’s creative journey began in Elkins, where she launched her professional art career designing handcrafted corporate gifts for Mongold Lumber. Not long after, a meeting with the owner of Taylor Books in Charleston set into motion a community pottery studio and gallery nestled inside the bookstore.
In 2010, Margocee joined the West Virginia Division of Culture and History as a grant coordinator, managing professional development grants for individual artists. She was promoted in 2013 to the director of the department, overseeing all competitive arts grants in the state. In 2017, she stepped into a new chapter as executive director of the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts, now known as the West Virginia Creative Network (WVCN).
“This role brought me back to my roots—working directly with artists and helping them discover resources that I never had access to,” she says. “Through fellowships and business development programs, we aim to help artists not just survive, but thrive, right here at home.”
Time and time again, Margocee has heard the belief that artists have to move outside the Mountain State to succeed. But her work with the Tamarack Foundation negates that notion. “I’m proud of our culture,” she says. “I love our state, and I see all the reasons you should be here.” Looking ahead, Margocee is focused on expanding WVCN’s reach, forging new partnerships across Appalachia, and amplifying the message that creative careers can flourish in the Mountain State.
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2025 WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN
Learn more about our Wonder Women
Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
Leave a Reply