Megan Pennings

Megan Pennings Photography

An Xicana educator and artist based in Southern California, Megan Pennings (she/her) brings her diverse cultural background to a multidisciplinary practice that spans photography, digital media, and visual storytelling. Working across portraiture, documentary, still life, sports photography, and urban lifestyle, she also engages with video, social media, and mixed-media formats to expand how stories are told and experienced. Her work explores the intersections of culture, community, and identity, examining how visual media shapes social expression and collective memory. Through her sports photography, she captures the intensity of competition, the emotional connections between athletes and fans, and the cultural significance of athletic spaces as sites of community and storytelling.

Megan’s extensive academic background reflects her deep commitment to both artistic practice and culturally grounded scholarship. She earned her MFA in Photography from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, building on a strong interdisciplinary foundation that includes an M.A. in Mexican-American Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cal State LA. She also holds a dual B.A. in Mexican-American Studies and Sociology from the same institution, along with an A.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Mt. San Antonio College. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in Ethnic Studies at multiple institutions (Chaffey College, Citrus College, Fullerton College, and Santa Ana College) while also teaching Digital Photography at South Hills High School through the CTE pathway. Her work bridges the classroom and creative practice, where she mentors students in both critical cultural analysis and visual storytelling, emphasizing community engagement, identity, and representation through photography.

Beyond the classroom, Megan actively engages with community initiatives that align with her values of representation and empowerment. She mentored with Las Fotos Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering teenage girls and gender-expansive youth through photography and media arts. As a member of Mujeres de Maíz, a collective supporting women of color, she contributes to creating inclusive spaces for marginalized voices. Her role in co-curating their annual live art show and exhibition demonstrates her ongoing commitment to fostering social change, creative collaboration, and community engagement across multiple forms of media.