Betsy Bannan received a BA in Studio Art from Virginia Tech and an MFA in Painting, minor in Art History from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She is an oil painter whose work is drawn from personal experience and is based in an interest in materials and the application of the materials. The paintings use symbolic and iconic figures to reference art historical and cultural influences on artists and society. She has shown nationally in solo and juried exhibitions, and has won numerous awards in such shows as The Roanoke City Art Show and the Roanoke College Biennial. She has taught at colleges in New York and Virginia and has been and instructor of painting and drawing, and Director of Academic Advising for the School of Visual Art at Virginia Tech from 2000 – 2014.