EMILY GRACE KING
  • ART
  • CURATION
  • ABOUT
Picture
Hi, I'm Emily! I use she/her pronouns.
I am a curator, artist, and arts advocate and working in the Denver Metro area. Lately, I've been creating encaustic monotype assemblies using beeswax from my backyard hives. The pursuit of making my own artistic medium inspired me to learn to keep bees and led me to transform my outdoor space into a haven for pollinators, planting and cultivating the raw material the bees need to create wax for my artwork. My recent fascination is making sparkly rainbow glitter resin casts of my hands.

I am the Art and Exhibits Curator for Special Collections and Archives at Denver Public Library, where I curate a collection of over 4,000 works of regional art and manage a variety of exhibits, providing visitors with a sense of place and belonging in the culture of Colorado. Previously I was the Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator at the Arvada Center for the Arts, where I worked with contemporary Colorado artists to create over thirty exhibitions in the Center's 10,000 square feet of galleries.

I am in grad school at Harvard University pursuing a Master's of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies. My paper "Designing the Virtual Museum with Animal Crossing: New Horizons" was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Public Humanities through Cambridge University Press.

I am deeply passionate about empowering artists to live creative lives with dignity, stability, freedom, and joy. My project Building Local Artist Legacy: Creating Accessible Resources for Collection Planning for Artists and Their Families began through a fellowship at the Clyfford Still Museum Institute. Ongoing support is provided by grants from Arts in Society, Harvard Innovation Labs, and partnerships with community organizations and local artists.

You can also view my artwork through Artwork Archive.

CV

Professional
Present
Art and Exhibits Curator - Special Collections and Archives at Denver Public Library, City of Denver, CO

Vice Chair - Arvada Arts & Culture Commission, Arvada, CO
​A member of the Harvard Innovation Labs
​
Past
Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator - Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
Chair - Arvada Arts & Culture Commission, Arvada, CO
​Founder - Art Drop Arvada, Arvada, CO
Galleries Exhibition Manager and Registrar - Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
​Gallery Assistant - 
 Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
Creative Designer and Consultant - Emily in Space
Docent - The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL

Education

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Master of Liberal Arts (ALM), Extension Studies, Field of Museum Studies   |   expected completion 2026
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO. Bachelor of Arts (BA), Visual Arts - Painting Emphasis
​
Certifications
Colorado Change Leader. Certified by
Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Project Management Certification. Certified by Google Careers.

Leadership Arvada Graduate. Certified by the Arvada Chamber of Commerce.

Museum Administration + Curation
2024   Celebrating Central. Special Collections Gallery, Denver Public Library. Art and Exhibit Curator.
2024   Mugshot: Artistic Drinking Vessels, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2024   I Regret to Inform You...Rejected Public Art, 
Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2024   inFORMed Space: Perspectives in Sculpture, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2024   Robin Cole: Genesis, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2024   Matt Cristie: Between Then and Now, Arvada Center.
 Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2024   Artist Proof: Print Process at Oehme Graphics, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2024   528.0: Regional Juried Printmaking Exhibition, Arvada Center. Juror, Exhibition Manager, and Associate Curator.
2024   Sue Oehme: Inclusions, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   Emilio Lobato: A Mi Manera, a 40-year Survey, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   
Latitude 37° Art of Southern Colorado, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   
Colcha Embroidery of the San Luis Valley, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator. 
2023   BIG DRAW COLORADO, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   Drawn: from the Source, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   Ramón Bonilla: The boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places for me. Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   Wendy Kowynia: Following the Thread, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   BUENO! Mark Bueno, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   Art + Science, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   
Gary Staab: Second Nature, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2023   
Flora: Scientific Botanical Illustration of Colorado Plants, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2022   One Sheet: Wood, Paper, Music, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2022   Floyd D. Tunson: Ascent, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2022   Anthony Garcia Sr: Pigment, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2022   Lola Montejo: After Another After, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Associate Curator.
2022   Pamela Webb: Hand + Hammer, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Curatorial Team.
2022   Lauri Lynnxe Murphy: Seeing the Forest For the Trees, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Curatorial Team.
2022   Art of the State 2022: A Juried Exhibition of Colorado, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager.
2021   Word Play, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager.
2021   Roland Bernier: In Other Words, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Curatorial Team.
2021   Brady Smith: (don't be embarrassed by) Your Trouble with Living, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager.
2021   Viral Influence: Art in the Time of Coronavirus, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Curatorial Team.
2021   Wood.Works, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager.
2021   Carley Warren: Three Pieces, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager.
2020   Narkita Gold: Black in Denver, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Curator.
2020   Pink Progression: Collaborations, Arvada Center. Exhibition Manager and Curator. Curated with Anna Kaye and Collin Parson.


Selected Exhibitions
2025   Adaptation, Centro de Artes da UFAM Caua, Manaus, Brazil
2025   DIS(PLACE) LUGAR y DESPLAZAR, La Galeria, Bogata, Colombia
2022   Ends & Beginnings, Alto Gallery, Denver, CO
2022   Linear Form/Non-Linear Behavior: Emily Grace King and Frank Lucero, Lakewood Cultural Center North Gallery, Lakewood, CO*
2022   Dig, Friend of a Friend Gallery, Denver, CO
2021   LandMark, City of Arvada, public art installations in parks throughout Arvada, CO
2020   
Charlie Brown Ceramics Show, Jantzen Gallery, Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO
2020   
Land, Arvada Library, Arvada, CO*
2020   
Assembled Canyons, Balefire, Arvada, CO*
2020   Charlie Brown Ceramics Show, Alto Gallery, Denver, CO
2020   528.0: Regional Juried Printmaking Exhibition, Arvada Center, Arvada, CO
2019   Changes, D'Art Gallery, Denver, CO
2019   Darkness, R Gallery, Boulder, CO
2019   Contemporary 2019: Contemporary Figure​, Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO
2018   One Square Foot, RedLine Gallery, Denver
2013   ActivArt, CentreGallery at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

2013   EcoExpressions: Emily Grace King, Whole, Tampa, FL*
2009   Detrius Transformed, Oak Room Gallery, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO
2007
   University of Northern Colorado Gala Invitational Exhibition, Tointon Gallery, Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley, CO
2005   Inside Out, Art & Soul Gallery, Boulder, CO
* solo or two-person exhibition

Fellowships and Residencies
2024   Clyfford Still Museum Institute Fellow, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO​
2023   Artist in Residence, The Wayfaring Band, California


Professional Service and Community Arts
2025   Vice Chair, Arvada Arts and Culture Commission, Arvada, CO
2024   Chair, Arvada Arts and Culture Commission, Arvada, CO; 2020 - 2024
2020   Artist Selection Committee, Olde Town Arvada Business Improvement District
2019   Commissioner, Arvada Arts and Culture Commission, Arvada, CO; 2019 - ongoing
2017   Scenic Designer, In The Heights, CenterStage Theatre Company at the Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder, CO
2017   Props Designer, Heathers: The Musical, CenterStage Theatre Company at the Nomad Playhouse, Boulder, CO
​2016   Founder, Art Drop Arvada


Awards
2025   Arts in Society Grant, Building Local Artist Legacy: Creating Accessible Resources for Collection Planning for Artists and Their Families
2025   Harvard Innovation Labs Spark Grant
2024   Josephine H. Miles Award from History Colorado for Arvada Center for the Arts: Colcha Embroidery of the San Luis Valley
2023   Hospitality Hero of Arvada Award, Arvada Visitors Center
2022   Young Professional Leader of the Year Award, Arvada Chamber of Commerce
2021   Badass Woman of Arvada Award, Arvada Chamber of Commerce
2019   Second Place, 
Contemporary 2019: Contemporary Figure​, Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO
2009   Angie Southard Award and Scholarship

2007   Fred Myers Award for Excellence and Scholarship

Accomplishments and Talks
2025   Speaker at Colorado Creative Industries Summit session I Regret to Inform You: Rejected Public Art, Grand Junction, CO
2025   Honored in Catalysts artwork by Jann Haworth, highlighting behind-the-scenes individuals integral to the success and vibrancy of Denver arts
2024   Guest Critique, Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO
2024   Panel Moderator, 
So You Want to be a Public Artist: Navigating Rejection in Art, Arvada Center, CO
2024   Institute Fellows Roundtable, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO
2024   Guest Juror, Fort Lewis College 63rd Annual Student Art Exhibition, Durango, CO
2024   Colorado Creates Grant Reviewer, Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
2024   Front Range Community College Guest Speaker, Westminster, CO

2023   PhotoVox speaker at Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Denver, CO
2023   Speaker at Colorado Creative Industries Summit session 
Crossing the Divide: Mobilizing Resources to Build a Network of Networks
2023   Guest Juror, Art Around Avon, Avon, CO
2023   Colorado Creates Grant Reviewer, Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
2023   Guest Judge, Boulder Valley School District High School and Faculty Exhibition, Dairy Art Center, Boulder, CO
2023   Intersections Lecture: Illustration to Expression, School of Botanical Art & Illustration at the Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO
2023   Colorado Photographic Arts Center Month of Photography Denver Portfolio Reviewer
2023   Metro State University Guest Speaker, Denver, CO

2023   University of Colorado Denver Guest Speaker, Denver, CO
2022   University of Colorado Denver Guest Speaker, Denver, CO
2021
   Colorado Photographic Arts Center Month of Photography Denver Portfolio Reviewer
2021   Fabricator for Meow Wolf's Convergence Station - Light Portal Hallway by artist Collin Parson
2021   Our Stories Virtual Art Workshop: Meaningful Materials, Dairy Art Center, Boulder, CO
2021   Guest Juror, Contingency: University of Colorado Denver Sculpture Club Annual Members Exhibition, Pirate Contemporary Art, Lakewood, CO
2020   
University of Colorado Denver Guest Speaker, Denver, CO
2020   
Wisdom of the Hive Summit Guest Speaker
2018   Leadership Arvada Graduate
​2016   Left Hand Right Brain episode 71: LIVE Hand Right Brain with Emily Grace King


Published
"Designing the Virtual Museum with Animal Crossing: New Horizons." Public Humanities, Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press, 2024. Peer-reviewed.
"The City of Arvada Returns Lost Artwork From its Collection." Essay in Colcha Embroidery of the San Luis Valley, Arvada Center, May 2024.
Golden's Public Artventure: Sketch Your Way Through the City. In partnership with the Golden Public Art Commission, Colorado, 2019.
Art in Your Park: a Guidebook for Getting Creative in Your Neighborhood. In partnership with the City of Arvada, Colorado, 2018.
Repeat, photograph. Abaton Literary Review, Issue Four, Fall 2010
Luke and I, Acrylic on wood. Abaton Literary Review, Issue Four, Fall 2010


Artist Book and Exhibition Catalog Design
2025   On the Edge: A Capulin Experience, Charles Parson
2022   Floyd D. Tunson: Ascent, Arvada Center and RedLine Contemporary Art Center.
2022   Art of the State 2022: A Juried Exhibition of Colorado, Arvada Center

Reviews, Press, and Media
Denver Public Library’s first art curator opens a new chapter, Colleen Smith, Denver Gazette, March 14, 2025
Learn More about the Institute at the Clyfford Still Museum, video by the Clyfford Still Museum, December 2, 2024
The Institute at the Clyfford Still Museum, video by the Clyfford Still Museum, October 4, 2024
Succumb to Defeat or Persevere: Lessons from Rejected Public Art Proposals at the Arvada Center, Joshua Ware, Southwest Contemporary, July 23, 2024​
Colorful Colorado art is on full display in the surprise exhibition of the summer, Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, July 21, 2024
The Romance of Rejection, Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, June 23, 2024
In the San Luis Valley, artisans paint pictures of everyday life using colcha embroidery, Shannah Lewis, Colorado Public Radio, September 27, 2023
Lost Art Returns to the Arvada Center, Kate Perdoni, Rocky Mountain PBS, September 14, 2023
Draw! A trio of summer exhibitions will change how you think about the world’s oldest form of visual art, Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, August 14, 2023
Ends + Beginnings Review, Djamila Ricciardi, DARIA Denver Art Review Inquiry + Analysis, January 17, 2023
9News Good News Friday: Short Story Dispenser Kyle Clark, 9News, June 10, 2022
Pride of Place: Latest Art of the State Showcases Strength of Colorado Artists, Michael Paglia, Westword, January 20, 2022
If you haven’t seen an exhibition since before the pandemic, Arvada Center’s “Wood.Works” is the perfect re-entry, Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 2021
Experts Reveal how to Create the Perfect In-Home Art Studio, Ryan Castillo, Redfin Blog, February 11, 2021
Pink Progression is keeping the spirit of the Women’s March alive, hats and all​, Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, August 30, 2020
Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Emily Grace King John Moore, Arvada Center, August 2020
Reignite the Arts: Emily Grace King, Arvada Center, 2020
Art Drop Arvada Hides Local Art in Parks, Shanna Fortier, Arvada Press, April 8, 2019
Art Drop, City of Arvada
In 2014, my "Make Out Practice Pillow" creation was covered by Huffington Post, Metro News, Daily Mail, Tosh.O, USA Today, ABC Action News, and more.
[email protected]

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