If you’ve stopped by JKR Gallery in Provo over the past couple of years, you’ve likely met Savannah Liddicoat. As co-director and curator from October 2023 through June 2025, she helped shape the gallery’s exhibitions while developing her own distinctive artistic voice. Born in 1999 in Queensland, Australia, Liddicoat is now back on the Central Coast due to visa complications, finishing her final semester at Brigham Young University remotely and continuing to create new work. Her paintings—rich in literary and mythological references—have been shown in venues such as the Springville Museum of Art and the Compass Gallery, with upcoming exhibitions including Brave Like Eve: Certain Women at the Bountiful Davis Art Center.

What are you reading lately?
I am in the middle of reading The Odyssey. I love literature and mythology, and I often reference both in my art practice, so reading the classics is one way I enrich my work.

What hangs above your mantel?
At the moment, my “mantel” is an old family desk. Because of some visa complications I am back in Australia, living with my aunt and uncle in their granny flat, which I think is similar to what Americans call a mother-in-law suite. On my desk I keep a few artworks, prints, and books. My most treasured piece is the canvas my fiancé painted when he proposed, with the words “Will you marry me?” across it. Hanging above it is one of the few paintings I was able to bring with me to Australia, a work of my own titled Besides the Lovers Tree. It is one of the pieces I am most proud of, and having it with me is both grounding and motivating as I finish my last semester at BYU from abroad.

Is there a piece of art in your house growing up that sticks in your mind?
My family wasn’t especially art-focused, but there was one piece my mother loved: The Singing Butler by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano. That print hung in my parents’ room, and I think it planted the seed of my love for romantic and whimsical subject matter in art.

If you could choose one person to paint or sculpt your portrait who would it be?
I would hands down choose Henri Matisse. He has been a huge inspiration in my practice. I admire how he challenged conventions of his time and how he captured figures through bold color and composition. I would love to see how he might interpret me and what colors he would choose.

What is your favorite building in Utah?
The Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. I wrote about it my freshman year of college and was struck by its detail and grandeur. I have always been fascinated by art history, so visiting a cathedral that felt as if it belonged in Europe was thrilling.

What is the most memorable exhibit you’ve seen recently?
The sculpture garden at the Glyptotek in Copenhagen. I was amazed by how soft and full of movement marble could appear. The way the rooms were arranged and the colors chosen for each space deepened the experience. It was unforgettable.

What is the last artistic thing you created yourself?
My wedding invitations. It was a different kind of project for me, but I had so much fun designing them. I loved being able to put my own creative twist on something so personal.

On the Spot

This is our chance to check in with members of Utah’s art community to see what they’ve been reading, seeing, doing.