b. memphis, tn
education
2015 University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Art, MFA
2012 Santa Monica College, Video Game Design & Storytelling
2009 New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, BFA
solo + two person exhibitions
2021 The Yellowing, Tiny Gallery, Urban Art Commission, Memphis,TN
2018 Imprismed, Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN
2016 Virgo Rising, Yellow Bird Artscape, Woodbury, TN (with Silvan Laan)
2016 Electric Pleasure Garden, Napa Gallery, CSU Channel Islands (with Shannon Willis)
2015 Love Whole, Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, CA
2014 The Etymology of God(dess), Glass Box Gallery, UC Santa Barbara
2014 Mineralism, Glass Box Gallery, UC Santa Barbara (with Oree Holban)
2013 Tsunami of Spirits, Gallery 1328, Santa Barbara, CA (with Oree Holban)
group exhibitions + screenings
2025 Granted Time, curated by Brittney Boyd Bullock, ARTSmemphis, TN
2024 Movable Collection Exhibition, Urban Art Commission, Memphis,TN
2023 Remnants, De Bouwput, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2021 Memphis International Airport selected artist exhibit, Concourse B
2020 Eyesolation, curated by Katherine Clark, Clough-Hanson Gallery online, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN
2020 Second Life, Third Life, curated by Lindsay Donnelly-Bullington, Clough-Hanson Gallery, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN
2019 刹那即永恒- One Minute is Eternal - Celebrating 21 years of One Minutes, Power Station of Art (PSA), Shanghai, CN
2017 Creating Characters, curated by Egill Sæbjörnsson, The One Minutes series, Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht, NL
2017 Creating Characters, curated by Egill Sæbjörnsson, The One Minutes series, Reykjavík International Film Festival, IS
2017 Chicago Art Book Fair with Walls Divide Press, Chicago, IL
2016 Visual Pleasure, curated by Jane Mulfinger, Cheadle Hall, UC Santa Barbara, CA
2015 Spiritual Machine, Another Experiment by Women Film Festival (AXW), curated by Lili White, Anthology Film Archives, NYC
2015 Prism Pipe: CRYSTAL BALL, curated by Sarah Zucker, Pehrspace, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Mystical Absolutes, Art, Design + Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara, CA
2015 UCFZ, Gone Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2014 A Wicked Problem, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (EFA) Projectspace, NYC
2014 Spectacular Subdivisions, curated by Jay Lizo, High Desert Test Sites and Monte Vista Projects, Joshua Tree, CA
2014 Likewise, curated by Megan Mueller, Glass Box Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2014 Celebración, The Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2014 In,On /Onto,Into, The Red Barn Project Space, Santa Barbara, CA
2014 Dark Days and Bright Nights, UCSB Media Lab, curated by Laurel Beckman, Santa Barbara, CA
2014 So Not Solo, curated by Cathy Ellis, Gallery 1328, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Art Heaven, Harder Stadium, UC Santa Barbara
2007 End Times, BFA Thesis Exhibition, The Commons, New York University, NYC
public art
2023 City of Memphis Movable Arts Collection
2022 South Point Grocery Porch Mural, South Main Arts District, Memphis, TN
awards + nominations
2024 ARTSmemphis ARTSassist Grant
2023 South Arts Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant
2020 Urban Art Commission (UAC) Bridging the Distance Project Grant (with Silvan Laan)
2015 Interdisciplinary Humanities Center (IHC) Visual, Performing and Media Arts Award
2015 Florimbi-Simon Award
2014 Doctoral Travel Grant to the Middle East and Greece
2014 Florimbi-Simon Award
2014 UCIRA Desert Studies Fund
2014 Dean’s Fellowship Nominee
2014 Siff Foundation Scholarship Nominee
2013 Levitan Graduate Fellowship (through 2015)
2013 University of California Block Grant (through 2015)
2013 Graduate Teaching Assistantship (through 2015)
2007 NYU Senior Honors Studio
2003 New York University Education Scholarship (through 2007)
2003 Poplar Pike Arts Guild, Visual Arts Service Award
residencies
2023 AGA LAB, Amsterdam, NL
2019 Sustainable U, Bandon, OR
2018 Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN
2016 Yellow Bird, Woodbury, TN
books + zines
2024 Holy Cow, limited edition risograph printed zine, Amsterdam: ΑΩ Press.
2017 Tropical Pubic Hair, illustrated zine, Walls Divide Press, https://wallsdivide.com/collections/zines
2012 Subliminal Lineal Spirit, Los Angeles: Peregrine Publishing.
https://www.amazon.com/Subliminal-Lineal-Spirit-Emily-Thomas/dp/061572860X
miscellaneous film + art experience
2016 Animations/film projection backdrop for Mister Hard Angle performance by Oree Holban at MCA Denver
2016 Animations for Ghana’s Electric Dreams a film by R. Lane Clark and Stephan F. Miescher
2016 Co-Art Director for No Body Holy, an outsider Sock-Hop at UCSB, performances by El Vez, Oree and the Do Not Worries, and Shannon and the Clams
2015 Animations and website design for Mount Zuidas by Silvan Laan
2015 Actor in The Future According to NATURA* directed by Floris Schönfeld
2005 Extra in Walk the Line directed by James Mangold
teaching, research + presentations + panels
2025 Juror for Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards, Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN
2018- Instructor, Private lessons in AfterEffects
present
2018 Lecturer, Artist Talk: Imprismed, Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN
2016 Research Assistant, Department of History, UC Santa Barbara
2013- Teaching Assistant and Section Instructor, Department of Art, UC Santa Barbara
2015
2010 Storyboard Presentation of Hades and Persephone: A Disneyfied Adaptation. Tisch School of the Arts, NYU
2006 Printmaking Studio Assistant, New York University
publications + press
2022 “Virtual Studio Visit: Emily C. Thomas,” Locate Arts blog The Focus, August 13, 2022.
https://locatearts.org/thefocus/2022/virtual-studio-visit-emily-c-thomas
2018 Carrigan, Margaret, “6 Bucolic Art Centers That Double as Farms and Vineyards,” Observer, June 2018. https://observer.com/2018/06/6-bucolic-art-centers-that-double-as-farms-and-vinyards/
2018 “Imprismed: Emily C. Thomas” Press Release, February 2018.
https://crosstownarts.org/calendar/emily-c-thomas-imprismed/
2018 Crosstown Arts, Exhibition Video for Imprismed, by Justin Thompson, March 2018.
2017 Ciccarone, Erica, “Yellow Bird Art Farm Offers Artists and Writers Sanctuary,” Nashville Arts Magazine, March 2017. http://.nashvillearts.com/2017/03/yellow-bird-art-farm-offers-artists-writers- sanctuary/
2017 “Studio Visit: Emily C. Thomas,” Locate Arts blog The Focus, March 2, 2017.
https://locatearts.org/the-focus/2017/studio-visit-emily-thomas
2016 Drake, Nora. “Visual Pleasure,” The Current. March 1, 2016.
http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2016/016508/visual-pleasure
2015 Diehl, Travis. “Harder Stadium,” May 2015. Mystical Absolutes, exhibition catalogue.
2015 MFA Thesis Exhibition News Feature, Art, Design + Architecture Museum, UCSB
http://www.museum.ucsb.edu/news/feature/358
2014 Vonk, Nathaniel. “Review: UCSB Open Studios/ Annual Group Show Offers Back Stage Pass to the Creative Process,” Santa Barbara Independent, November 11, 2017. https://independent.com/news/2014/nov/11/review-ucsb-mfa-open-studios/