BIO
ARTIST STATEMENT
Savannah Penven (b. 1998) is a multi-media artist, curator, and creative facilitator dedicated to cultivating connections through art. Savannah experiments in various mediums including painting, pen and ink, photography, fiber arts, collage, pyrography, and printmaking, exploring surrealism, mysticism, and alchemy in her work. Savannah lives and works in the New River Valley region of Southwest Virginia
CURATOR
Savannah specializes in curating, jurying, and arts programming. She enjoys bringing exhibitions to life through thoughtful concept development and design. With a background in Art History, Museum Studies, and Material Culture, she approaches curatorial work with a critical eye and an artistic intuition, creating exhibitions that inspire dialogue, connection, and engagement. Savannah enjoys investigating artistic narratives in her curatorial practice, both aesthetically and theoretically, joining the cerebral and observational.
Savannah offers services for curatorial projects, exhibition design, arts programming, exhibition jurying, and project consultations.
browse my art portfolio, curatorial projects, and freelance services, or email me to collaborate
CV
SAVANNAH PENVEN
Radford, Virginia | savannahpenven@gmail.com | savannahpenven.com
EDUCATION
M.A. Material Culture & Public Humanities, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
B.A., Art History & Museum Studies, Radford University, Radford, VA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Menagerie 2025, Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, Pulaski VA
Radford Annual Juried Art Show, Radford Art Gallery on Tyler, Radford, VA
Celebrating Appalachia, Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery, Radford VA
Building Montgomery County, Montgomery Museum of Art and History, Christiansburg, VA
2025 New River Juried Art Biennial, Moss Arts Center, Blacksburg, VA
Celebrating Poetry in Art, Blacksburg Museum, Blacksburg, VA
Love in Many Colors, Art on 1st, Roanoke, VA
2024
Flight, Montgomery Museum of Art and History, Christiansburg, VA
Place, Art on 1st, Roanoke, VA
Creativity Inclosed, Montgomery Museum of Art and History, Christiansburg, VA
Space, collaborative group work curated by Sally Brown, Morgantown, WV
2022
Memories, Artful Lawyer, Blacksburg, VA
Radford Annual Art Show, Radford Art Museum, Radford, VA
ART AWARDS
2022
Honorable Mention, “Interior I,” Artful Lawyer, Blacksburg VA
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2025
POLARITY, Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, Pulaski, VA
Youth Art Month Exhibition, Fine Arts Center, Pulaski, VA
Scholastic Annual Art Show, Fine Arts Center, Pulaski, VA
2024
The Human Experience Project, Fine Arts Center, Pulaski VA
Menagerie 2024, Fine Arts Center, Pulaski, VA
‘Quiet,’ Textile Artists of Virginia, Fine Arts Center, Pulaski, VA
2023
O. Winston Link: Capturing the Last Steam Railroad, MMAH, Christiansburg, VA
ACADEMIC AWARDS
2024
“Outstanding M.A. in MCPH Student,” Virginia Tech
2020
“Conference Scholarship,” Virginia Association of Museums Annual Conference
2019
“Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Grant,” Radford University
“Winsett Award For Library Research,” Radford University
PROJECTS AND PRESENTATIONS
2024
Master’s Thesis, “Feminist Curatorial Methods in University Art Institutions within Appalachia,” Virginia Tech
2023
Presenter, “Black Feminist Interventions in Art: Visualized Through Artists Mequitta Ahuja & Emma Amos,” SECAC
2020
Bachelor’s Capstone, “Conflicts Between Artist Politics And Curatorial Politics: An Analysis Of Nancy Spero: Paper Mirror,” Radford University
2019
Presenter, “Conflicts Between Artist Politics And Curatorial Politics,” 7th Annual Summer Research Celebration, Radford
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2025
Exhibitions Program Manager, Center for the Arts, Virginia Tech
2024
Program Manager & Curator, Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, Pulaski
Virginia Tech Foundation Art Collections Manager And Archivist, Virginia Tech
2023
Exhibitions Program Assistant, Center for the Arts, Virginia Tech
Curatorial Intern, Montgomery Museum of Art and History, Christiansburg
INTERVIEWS
2025
“A new era of art,” By Caroline Herbert, THE NEWS FEED
“Pulaski revitalization aims to breathe life into old town,” WSLS
PRESS
2025
“New River Valley artists featured in biennial exhibition at the Moss Arts Center,” Virginia Tech News
“New River Valley artists' work featured at Moss Center,” Roanoke Times
“New River Valley artists featured in biennial exhibition at the Moss Arts Center,” The Patriot: Southwest Times
2024
“The Fine Arts Center presents ‘The Human Experience Project” Roanoke Times
“The Fine Arts Center presents ‘The Human Experience Project’,” Radford New Journal
“The Human Experience Project,” NRV News
“Exploring Space and Self: New Contributions from Holly Wong, Nadia Thompson, and Savannah Penven,” by Sally Jane Brown
“Fine Arts Center for NRV now featuring 'Menagerie',“ Roanoke Times
“Show celebrates diverse artistic visions from New River Valley,” Radford New Journal
“Menagerie opens August 16,” NRV News
“Quiet is focus of show at Fine Arts Center,” Roanoke Times
“Quiet is focus of show at Fine Arts Center,” The Patriot: Southwest Times
“ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Savannah Penven selected as the new Program Manager at the Fine Arts Center for the NRV.” RU Art
“Meet our New Team Members: Savannah and Brandon!,” Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley Blog