Emily Mitchell

Emily Mitchell first joined the Union team as a classroom assistant in the spring of 2017. Returning in 2020, she will lead a series of workshops for youth in our Gallery Explorations program as well as assist during our after school Youth Open Studios program. She has worked with youth and facilitated programs with Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha Outward Bound School, NorthStar Foundation; and she was an Assistant Teaching Artist at Marwen while living in Chicago. Emily received her Bachelors of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in Art Therapy, from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2007. She also became a Certified Open Studio Process Facilitator in Evanston, Illinois where she was trained to lead and facilitate expressive arts workshops for youth and adults. Emily is a multidisciplinary artist who loves to explore materials and process; she works with photography, watercolor, oil pastels, ink drawing, collage, bookmaking and paper arts. She is a collector by heart and often uses found objects and imagery in her artwork. Emily believes in the healing power of art, self-expression, and activating the creative voice; she strives to provide a safe and open environment for all to tap into and access.

Who inspires you? My grandmother inspires me. We have always had a very special connection and she is one of the most inspiring, supportive, and encouraging women in my life. I am very thankful for her.

What is something most people don’t know about you? How much of a collector I am! I collect old, beautiful things, usually items that have a story, or that have been handed down through my family. One of my largest collections is my Rocks, Minerals, and Crystals; besides their beauty and energies I am drawn to, they are one way in which I feel connected to nature and the Earth.

What is your favorite quote or motto? “Good friends are like stars. You might not always see them, but you know they are always there.”