Emily is Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City. She holds a BA in Comparative Cultural Studies from Northern Arizona University, an MA in Museum Studies from the University of San Francisco, and a PhD in the History of Art & Architecture from the University of Oregon with a certificate in New Media & Culture. Her dissertation, titled “Networks of Experience: Interactive Digital Art in the 21st Century,” considers interactivity in digital art practices including virtual reality, immersive installations, and social media art, with a focus on long-term preservation strategies when acquired in museum collections.
Alongside Dr. Kate Mondloch, Emily guest edited a special issue of Arts titled “Framing the Virtual: New Technologies and Immersive Exhibitions," where she published the article "Continuity: Sharing Space in teamLab's Digital Ecosystems."
At the UMFA, Emily spearheads the salt exhibition series for emerging artists in addition to the Museum's vibrant and growing photography, new media, and modern and contemporary art collections. Recent exhibitions include Yasuaki Onishi: Stone on Boundary, salt 16: Arleene Correa Valencia, and Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom. Additionally, she was the UMFA curator for the launch of Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo that continues on a national tour.
From 2022 to 2025, Emily was an Ishibashi Foundation Digital Futures Scholar with the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures.
Outside of academia, Emily is a violinist and singer. She recently held roles in the Yavapai College Performing Art Department's productions of Chicago and Hello, Dolly! starring Toni Tenille.
Alongside Dr. Kate Mondloch, Emily guest edited a special issue of Arts titled “Framing the Virtual: New Technologies and Immersive Exhibitions," where she published the article "Continuity: Sharing Space in teamLab's Digital Ecosystems."
At the UMFA, Emily spearheads the salt exhibition series for emerging artists in addition to the Museum's vibrant and growing photography, new media, and modern and contemporary art collections. Recent exhibitions include Yasuaki Onishi: Stone on Boundary, salt 16: Arleene Correa Valencia, and Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom. Additionally, she was the UMFA curator for the launch of Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo that continues on a national tour.
From 2022 to 2025, Emily was an Ishibashi Foundation Digital Futures Scholar with the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures.
Outside of academia, Emily is a violinist and singer. She recently held roles in the Yavapai College Performing Art Department's productions of Chicago and Hello, Dolly! starring Toni Tenille.