Steven Pennell is the Founder and Coordinator of the URI Providence Campus Arts and Culture Program since 1996 with a fulltime gallery of monthly exhibit and performances. He is a Theatre Director, Oral Historian, Actor and Musician, and Lecturer in Theatre History and Performance. We asked him few questions about his life and art-making in Rhode Island for our series, Rhode Island Cultural Anchors.
RISCA: Give us a brief overview of your day yesterday- what did you do in both your personal and professional life?
SP: I picked vegetables, went to the gym, and worked on administration for the Fall Semester of monthly exhibits and events ending with a follow up meeting on the Public School Art Exhibit from last May.
RISCA: What do you love about the art scene in Rhode Island?
SP: The art community is so vibrant and varied. There is something for everyone and so many opportunities available to enjoy.
RISCA: Why do you make Rhode Island your home, and how did you end up here?
SP: I was born in Rhode Island, but I lived and worked in New York,
Ohio, Korea, Great Britian and Germany as a Theatre Director, Performer and Educator. I returned to Rhode Isalnd in 1994 to reestablish my roots and begin exploring new opportunities here in the visual and performing arts committed to education and social change.
RISCA: What is one thing that you want to accomplish in the next year?
SP: Establishing a PVD Solo Performance Festival.
RISCA: What is one thing you think the art community in Rhode Island needs?
SP: More interconnectedness, and more communication channels.