About Emily Marks
ABOUT
As a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist and national arts leader, I’ve spent over two decades building creative ecosystems that center artists, youth, and communities. My work lives at the intersection of theatre, music, and civic engagement—from founding Girls Rock Austin and co-organizing to build a global network of 120+ youth music programs, to producing nationally touring performances like Petra and the Wolf to over 26,000 young people, and producing large-scale festivals and conferences rooted in equity, storytelling, and cultural preservation.
My interdisciplinary education spans Ethnomusicology, Theatre, Curatorial Studies focused on Contemporary Performance, Business, Community Organizing, Arts Administration and Policy, and most recently Art + Neuroscience. This diverse foundation informs my commitment to innovation, systems-level change, and advocacy to ensure underrepresented voices are both onstage and in policy and boardroom conversations.
I’ve led multidisciplinary arts organizations, launched professional development programs for emerging artists, and designed strategic transitions for legacy institutions. Notably, I contributed to the multi-million-dollar renovation of Memphis’s historic Cossitt Library, transforming it into a vibrant hub for artists and entrepreneurs. Whether serving as Executive Artistic Director, producing public performance projects with 3,000+ participants, or consulting on youth-centered cultural strategy, I bring a collaborative, systems-focused approach to arts leadership.
Currently based in Memphis, I work nationally to support cultural institutions, artists, and emerging leaders with tools to build sustainable, inclusive, and impactful creative work.
Let’s build what’s next for the field, for the future, and for each other.
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