Spudnik Press is excited to announce the appointment of Sara Emerson as the organization’s incoming executive director. Sara Emerson will lead a new era of community engagement and inclusiveness for Spudnik Press. Holding a BA in Printmaking and Social Practice of the Arts from Bennington College, Emerson comes to Spudnik with a strong background of collaborative printmaking, arts programming, financial operations, and managerial positions across higher education institutions throughout the US. Sara Emerson joins Spudnik from Williams College, a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, with graduate programs in the history of art and a track record of ambitious goals encompassing sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion; and accountability and transparency. As Williams College’ Studio Manager, Emerson provided broad leadership and managed day-to-day operations of the printmaking facilities.
“On behalf of the board, we are excited about the creative perspective, plus management, and programmatic experience in the printmaking arts that Sara will bring to the position as Executive Director. We are delighted to have attracted someone of Sara Emerson’s talent, enthusiasm and accomplishment. She brings all the key skills that Spudnik needs to be successful at this stage in its history,” says board member and chair of the search committee Hellen Colman.
As Emerson begins her leadership at Spudnik, she looks forward to continuing work with community partners, and developing new collaborations and programs that explore the range and diversity of our community.
Welcome, Sara!
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Sara is an arts educator and dedicated printmaker with a deep commitment to building and sustaining creative community networks of care, collaboration, and accountability. Sara believes in the power of printmaking as a medium for social change and personal empowerment; she has worked to cultivate equitable and inclusive printshop models and is eager to immerse herself in the Spudnik community. For the past decade, she has lived, learned, and worked between Southern Vermont and Western Massachusetts.
Sara comes to Spudnik with many years of experience within collaborative, educational, and professional printmaking studios. As the Printmaking Technician and 2D Studio Manager at Williams College, she led initiatives to restructure the Art Department's organizational and fiscal strategies with a focus on material accessibility and sustainability. She increased transparency surrounding material costs, grants, and financial aid procedures, ensuring that all students, regardless of financial limitations, understood the resources and supports available to them. Sara shaped the future of the Williams printmaking studio, propelling a major renovation out of a years long stagnancy; with her support, the project broke ground in March 2022.
Before joining Williams College, Sara worked in higher education Admissions and Enrollment at Bard College at Simon's Rock. During this time, she built connections with students, families, and educational communities from across the globe. She is a passionate advocate for creating accessible education pathways for first generation and low-income students.
Sara holds a BA in Printmaking and Social Practice of the Arts from Bennington College. Her thesis exhibition was purchased by a private collector and is currently on view through the Art-in-Buildings initiative in New York City. Her work has been featured at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, public galleries, and community spaces, as well as in private collections. In the summer of 2021, Sara attended the Lithography Intensive at Tamarind Institute. She has worked in tandem with master printers, print publishing houses, and internationally recognized artists in the US and abroad.