Will Penny is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice incorporates an assortment of media ranging from painting, video, sculpture, programming, and projection. His work aims to combine traditional art making tools with new technologies, to create space to explore themes such as embodiment, presence, fantasy, and the sublime.
He was born in Woodstock, Ontario in 1984, and lives and works in Savannah, Georgia. He received his MFA in Painting and BFA in Painting from The Savannah College of Art and Design, and a diploma in Fine Art from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.
His work has been exhibited at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Francis Marion University, Florence; Telfair Museums, Savannah; the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon; Georgia Southern University, Statesboro; and HUBweek, Boston. He is the recipient of the SCAD Dean’s Fellowship award, and his work has been acquired by collections such as Telfair Museums, Savannah; Google Ventures, New York; and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.
Education
2013 . MFA Painting . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2008 . BFA Painting . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2016 . Fine Arts Diploma . Fanshawe College . London, ON
Solo Exhibitions
2024 . Nothing to Fear . Laney Contemporary . Savannah, GA
2023 . Small Talk . Arts Southeast . Drive Thru Art Box . Savannah, GA
2023 . Pulse Art and Technology Festival . Jepson Center for the Arts . Telfair Museums . Savannah, GA
2021 . Neutral Zone . Francis Marion University . Florence, SC
2020 . Where 2 Begin . University of Tennessee at Chattanooga . Chattanooga, TN
2018 . En Plein Air . Laney Contemporary . Savannah, GA
2013 . Prismatic . The Rymer Gallery . Nashville, TN
2013 . Lifelike . Alexander Hall Gallery . Savannah, GA
Select Group Exhibitions
2022 . Convergence . Jepson Center for the Arts . Telfair Museums . Savannah, GA
2022 . Supernatural . Gutstein Gallery . Savannah, GA
2021 . Emerging National IX . Museum of Arts and Sciences . Macon, GA
2021 . Mode Code II . Georgia Southern University . Statesboro, GA
2021 . Bedtime Stories . Georgia Southern University . Statesboro, GA
2018 . The Shape of Things . Black Diamond Gallery . Brooklyn, NY
2017 . WYA . Jepson Center for the Arts . Telfair Museums . Savannah, GA
2017 . Pollinate . HUBweek Art and Technology Festival . Boston, MA
2016 . Night and Day . Joseph Gross Gallery . New York, NY
2016 . Spectrum . Blue Spiral 1 . Asheville, NC
2015 . Love or Confusion . BnJ Gallery . Atlanta, GA
2015 . Phase 3 . The Mammal Gallery . Atlanta, GA
2015 . Widow Maker . Rally Ossington . Toronto, ON
2014 . Wrap Around 5 . Arena@Suite806 . New York, NY
2014 . Currents . Westobou Festival . Academy of Richmond County . Augusta, GA
2013 . Ecstatic Matrices . Non-Fiction Gallery . Savannah, GA
2012 . Art Scapes . Knoxville Museum of Art . Knoxville, TN
Experience
2019 . 2023 . Professor of Digital Communication . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2015 . 2019 . Part-time Professor of Foundation Studies . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2013 . 2017 . Manager of Painting Studio Education . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2013 . Excelsus Laureate . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2011 . 2012 . Co-Director and Curator . Mr Beast Gallery . Savannah, GA
2011 . Dean's Fellowship . School of Fine Arts . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
2011 . Curated Artist Registry . White Columns . New York, NY
2009 . Studio Assistant . Charles Lahti Studio . Brooklyn, NY
Collections
2022 . Google Ventures . New York, NY
2021 . Pantone and Tribute Portfolio . Savannah, GA
2018 . Telfair Museums . Savannah, GA
2017 . Mercedes-Benz Stadium . Atlanta, GA
2016 . Virgin Hotels . Las Vegas, NV
2016 . Renaissance Gateway . Atlanta, GA
2016 . Terminus . Atlanta, GA
2013 . Savannah College of Art and Design . Savannah, GA
Press
2019 . White Hot Magazine . online
2019 . Here Magazine . online
2018 . Savannah Magazine . January Issue
2016 . The Grey District . online
2016 . Eyes Towards the Dove . online
2014 . Blouinartinfo . online
2014 . Inhabitant . online
2013 . Artforum . online
2013 . Artlog . online
2012 . New American Painting . Issue 100
2012 . Art in America . online
2010 . Beautiful Decay . online
2009 . Art in America Issue . March Issue