CV

Emily C. Thomas

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, UrbanArt Commission (UAC), Memphis,TN

2018 Imprismed, Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN

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 Mineralsim, Glass Box Gallery, UC Santa Barbara (with Oree Holban)n

group exhibitions + screenings

2025 Granted Time, curated by Brittney Boyd Bullock, ARTSmemphis, TN

2025 Print Markt, MK24, Amsterdam, NL

2024 Movable Collection Exhibition, UrbanArt Commission (UAC), Memphis,TN

2023 Remnants, De Bouwput, Amsterdam, NL

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

2017 Creating Characters, curated by Egill Sæbjörnsson, The One Minutes series: Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht, NL; Reykjavík International Film Festival, IS; Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, CN; Sinan Mansions, Shanghai, CN; Dortmunder U, DE; East China Normal University, Shanghai, CN; Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy, Amsterdam, NL; MU, Eindhoven, NL; Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle, NL; Museum Hilversum, NL; Sandberg Instituut, Amsterdam, NL; De School, Amsterdam, NL; WOW, Amsterdam, 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, curated by Corkey Sinks.

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, MFA Thesis Exhibition, 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

2009 End Times, BFA Thesis Exhibition, The Commons, New York University, NYC

public art

2023 City of Memphis Movable Arts Collection, Memphis Public Libraries

2022 Power Plants, South Point Grocery, South Main Arts District, Memphis, TN

2021 Memphis International Airport, UrbanArt Commission (UAC) selected artist exhibit, Concourse B

2016 Virgo Rising, Yellow Bird, Woodbury, TN (with Silvan Laan)

grants + honors

2024 ARTSmemphis ARTSassist Grant

2023 South Arts Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant

2020 UrbanArt 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

2015-
2013 Levitan Graduate Fellowship

2015-
2013 Graduate Teaching Assistantship

2015-
2013 University of California Block Grant

2014 Doctoral Travel Grant to the Middle East and Greece

2014 Florimbi-Simon Award

2014 UCIRA Desert Studies Fund

2014 Dean’s Fellowship Nomineee

2014 Siff Foundation Scholarship Nominee

2007 NYU Senior Honors Studio

2007-
2003 New York University Education Scholarship

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

2025 Holy Cow, limited edition risograph printed zine, ΑΩ Press

2017 Tropical Pubic Hair, illustrated zine, Memphis, TN: Walls Divide Press, wallsdivide.com

2012 Subliminal Lineal Spirit, illustrated book, Los Angeles, CA: Peregrine Publishing, amazon.com

miscellaneous film + art experience

2016 Animations/film projection backdrop for Mister Hard AngleMister Hard Angle performance by Oree Holban at MCA Denver

2016 Animations for Ghana’s Electric Dreams a film by R. Lane Clark and Prof. 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 collaborator in The Future According to NATURA* directed by Floris Schönfeld

2005 Extra in Walk the Line, a Johnny Cash biopic directed by James Mangold

teaching, research, presentations + panels

2025 Juror for Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards, Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN

2018 Lecturer, Artist Talk: Imprismed, Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN

2016 Research Assistant, Department of History, UC Santa Barbara

2015 Teaching Assistant and Section Instructor, Painting; Art + Life, Department of Art, UC Santa Barbara

2014 Teaching Assistant and Section Instructor, Drawing; Digital Strategies; Image Studies, Department of Art, UC Santa Barbara

2013 Teaching Assistant and Section Instructor, Image Studies, Department of Art, UC Santa Barbara

2010 Storyboard Presentation of A Disneyfied Adaptation: Hades and Persephone, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU

2006 Printmaking Studio Assistant, New York University

articles + press

2024 Roos, Leonie. “Emily C. Thomas: Artist in Residence,” AGA LAB blog, July 31.
Emily C. Thomas _ Artist in Residence – AGA LAB.pdf

2018 “Emily C. Thomas: Imprismed,” Exhibition Interview by Justin Thompson, Crosstown Arts, March.
https://vimeo.com/256683214

2017 Ciccarone, Erica. “Yellow Bird Art Farm Offers Artists and Writers Sanctuary,” Nashville Arts Magazine, March.
http://nashvillearts.com/2017/03/yellow-bird-art-farm-offers-artists-writers-sanctuary/

2017 Breidenbach, Emily. “Five Highlights from the Chicago Art Book Fair 2017,” Sixty Inches From Center, December 7.
https://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/five-highlights-from-the-chicago-art-book-fair-2017/

2017 Jobe, Brian, “Studio Visit: Emily C. Thomas,” LOCATE Arts blog The Focus, March 2.
https://locatearts.org/the-focus/2017/studio-visit-emily-thomas

2016 Drake, Nora. “Visual Pleasure,” The Current, August 1, 2022.
http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2016/016508/visual-pleasure

2015 Diehl, Travis. “Harder Stadium,” 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.
https://independent.com/news/2014/nov/11/review-ucsb-mfa-open-studios/