Mercer Alumni Spotlight - Zoe Botes

A woman smiling in front of a beautiful sunset, radiating joy and contentment.

Zoe Botes - Class of 2020

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design - Class of 2025

Pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a double minor in communication design and digital media production

A woman smiling in front of a building at night, radiating joy and contentment in the city's nocturnal ambiance.

Zoe spent her spring semester in 2023 abroad in Milan, Italy, studying graphic design at IED- Instituto Europeo di Design. Her time in Italy granted her the opportunities to further her education, taking classes on a range of topics from some top creative minds and professionals in the field. She was also able to immerse herself in a completely different culture and travel throughout Europe and Italy to visit some amazing places and people. The cherry on top was getting to see some of the most famous pieces of art in the world!

A woman admiring a painting in an art gallery, captivated by the colors and brushstrokes.

The painting above is  "The Kiss" by Gustave Klimpt. When she was a student at Mercer in the Art Department, Zoe painted a master study of that painting, as seen below.

A woman artist passionately paints a beautiful artwork depicting the iconic moment of 'The Kiss'.

During her time at college, she has maintained a GPA of 3.9. Outside of class, she has illustrated 2 children’s books, My Snowmobile Adventure and My UTV Adventure. 

A woman smiling on a rooftop with a city in the background, radiating joy and capturing the urban beauty.

She is continuing to work on commissions to grow her experience and portfolio. In addition, Zoe has sold artwork that was hanging in a local business establishment and was the recipient of a Manitowish Art League Scholarship three years in a row.

Zoe's Portfolio

As part of her artist's journey, Zoe has her portfolio online. Click to see her amazing work!