Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Arts
Brigham Young University
August 2005 – December 2008
Emily completed her undergraduate studies within BYU’s College of Fine Art and Communications. She was accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Art Studio Arts program as a freshman, earning multiple Talent Award scholarships throughout her college career.
Emily recalls feeling excited and grateful to be a part of this program; dedicating her time, energy, and efforts to learn as much as she could while at BYU. For Emily, a unique and impactful aspect of the Studio Arts curriculum was the community environment of the BFA studio space. This was a dedicated area given to students to work on their projects while encouraging them to collaborate, support, and learn from each other. She also loved the exposure to the vast resources and associations that came from working in the Harold B Lee Library. During her time there, Emily discovered and read from various works of literature that helped to enrich her education.
Santa Reperata International School of Art
BYU Study Abroad in Florence, Italy
April 2007 – August 2007
While at BYU, Emily was able to pursue the opportunity to attend a study abroad program at the Santa Reparata International School of Art, located in Florence, Italy. Here, BYU’s curriculum and professors were blended with the resources and classrooms of the Santa Reparata School of Art.
This program allowed an in depth study of the culture and art of Italy, helping Emily to immerse herself in the most historic and influential art of the Renaissance. By visiting cities like Florence, Milan, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Rome, Napoli, Torino, Pompeii and Herculaneum, there was ample time to study deeply from the abundance of Italian art and architecture.
Emily studied numerous works from masters like Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Bernini and Leonardo to name a few. The chance to study the craft and workmanship of these artistic geniuses helped to feed Emily’s artistic soul.
Notably, Emily remembers spending hours in the Uffizi Gallery in front of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, as well as with Bernini’s David in the Borghese Museum. She also enjoyed studying sculptures like Michelangelo’s Entombed and Pieta along with others from the collections of Egyptian and Christian art that were available across Italy. At times patterns and ideas from these works slip into her own paintings.
Provo, UT
Bridge Academy of Art
February 2009 – February 2010
After graduating from BYU, Emily felt a need to expand her academic and artistic skills. She enrolled at the Bridge Academy of Art in Provo, UT, establishing a pattern of continual education that still impacts her art today. The Bridge Academy was centered in observational drawing and painting, giving Emily the opportunity to develop her skills beyond what is taught at the university level. With teachers like Jeff Hein, Shawn Diediker, Brian Kershisnik, Ben McPherson, Justin Taylor, J. Kirk Richards, William Whitaker and Michael Workman, this atelier style program brought in talented artists from around Utah to provide an enriched environment devoted to guiding its students in growing and developing their skills.
This focused, academic curriculum was based on working only from life. Emily participated in numerous shows and programs through the Bridge Academy while simultaneously opening her own private studio. It was at this time that she began to create and sell her own art, along with starting to teach her own students privately.
Salt Lake City, UT
Hein Academy of Art
June 2010 – November 2012
Later, Emily connected with Jeff Hein, one of her all time favorite artists. She studied with him at The Hein Academy of Art, now the Hein Atelier, in Salt Lake City, UT. His apprentice-style institution focuses on precision and accuracy in drawing and painting. There are regular live models and cast studies in this rigorous and highly challenging environment. Emily enjoyed the chance to watch the process and progression of Jeff’s personal and academic work while studying alongside other dedicated artists.
In this setting, Jeff expected perfection. He wanted his students to learn how to work hard, achieve accuracy consistently, and recognize when work was not yet finished. Jeff’s knowledge and example, along with the association with other art apprentices, accelerated Emily’s personal growth.
Notably, Emily’s figure paintings and drawing abilities were fine-tuned during this time.
Emily loves that making art continues to challenge her. She expects it will continue to give her opportunities to stretch and grow throughout her career and for the rest of her life.