Emma Fries

Executive Director of Arts Greenhouse

Area of Study

Arts Greenhouse

Bio

Emma Fries is an artist, educator, and Executive Director of Arts Greenhouse, an Arts and Humanities Educational Outreach Program of Dietrich College at Carnegie Mellon University. She is also Special Faculty in the Department of English, where she teaches courses that bring CMU undergraduates into community-based arts practice. Arts Greenhouse reaches over 300 Pittsburgh middle school students each year, expanding access to the humanities through in-school workshops, after-school courses, and summer programs. Emma leads its curriculum development and partnerships with schools and community organizations.

Her work centers on participatory art, public and community-based art projects, and storytelling as tools for representation and shared authorship. She is particularly drawn to where art intersects with the environment and civic life. Across these projects, her aim is to help young people recognize their own capacity to shape the world around them.

Education

Master in Arts Management, expected 2025
B.F.A. Studio Arts | Art History Minor
B.S. Art Education, K-12 Certification

Research

Arts and Humanities K-12 Education