CV

 

EMILY FUSSNER

Lives and works in northern virginia / Washington DC

EDUCATION

2019 MFA Visual Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2013 BS summa cum laude, Printmaking, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN

2011 Gordon College in Orvieto, Italy (semester abroad)

AWARDS

2018-2019  Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Graduate Fellowship

2018-2019  Victoria N. Salmon Award for Outstanding Graduate Student, GMU College of Visual & Performing Arts

RESIDENCIES

2020-2024 Resident Artist at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington, VA

2018 American University MFA Studio Berlin at GlogauAIR Art Residency, Berlin, Germany

SOLO & TWO PERSON* EXHIBITIONS

2026  Of Time and Tenderness: Ali Wunder & Emily Fussner*, Aughinbaugh Art Gallery, Messiah University, Mechanicsburg, PA

2022  Mending Time: Mending Time: Emily Fussner & Ryan McCoy*, Cody Gallery, Marymount University, Arlington VA

2021  A Window to Europe: Through Literature and Art*, Plain Sight DC & the EU National Institutes of Culture, Washington, DC (selected group of artists, two artists exhibiting at a time at Plain Sight DC)

2021  Even a Parking Lot is Beautiful at Dawn, Wyatt Resident Artists Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington VA

2019  Casting/s, Williams Gallery & 1920 Gallery, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN 

2019  In Light of—, IA&A at Hillyer, Washington, DC

2019  eternity fleeting, MFA Thesis Exhibition, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 

2018  The Shape of Light, GMU Art Lab, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton VA

2017  Absence Transformed, GMU Art Lab, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton VA

2017  FILL, Metro Micro Gallery, Arlington, VA

SIte specific public art commissions

2025  Shadow Vessel Series, for Metro Art-in-Transit, Crystal City Metro Station, Arlington, VA

2022 Here we consider, Museum of Contemporary art Arlington, Arlington, VA

2021 For the alley, Georgetown GLOW, Washington, DC (curated by Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams)

2018  What Delineates, Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Biennial: Absence & Presence, Washington, DC 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025  Women Artists of the DMV, Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, Washington DC (curated by Lenny Campello)

2025  Held Together: Fragility & Endurance in Art (online exhibition), Visionary Collective (curated by Sergio Gomez)

2025  Required Reading, Workhouse Arts center, Lorton, VA (curated by Michele Montalbano)

2024 Sculpture NOW, McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA (juried by Nancy Sausser)

2024 Wish You Were Here, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington, VA (curated by Amanda Jirón-Murphy)

2024  Chiostro, Gordon faculty exhibition, Gio | Gallery in Orvieto, Orvieto, Italy

2023 Hot Goss, Museum of Contemporary art Arlington, Arlington, VA (curated by Amanda Jirón-Murphy)

2021  From Dusk Til’ Dawn, Brentwood Arts Exchange, Brentwood, MD (curated by Spencer Dormitzer)

2021  Those Spaces Between, Target Gallery, Alexandria, VA (juried by Nikki Brugnoli)

2021  On Paper: Printmaking, Book Arts & Beyond, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons, MD (juried)

2020  Sculpture NOW, McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA (curated by Nancy Sausser)

2020 The Velocity of a Page, Tephra ICA, exhibition online due to COVID-19 (curated by Christopher Kardambikis)

2019  Call & Response: Transmogrify, Fenwick Gallery, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2019  RISE 2019: Hillyer Newly Selected Artists, IA&A at Hillyer, Washington, DC

2018  ShadowLands: 3D Adventures in Light and Space, Washington Sculptors Group, American Center for Physics, College Park, MD (curated by Sarah Tanguy)

2018  Exempla, Gordon in Orvieto Alumni Exhibition, Gordon College, Wenham, MA

2018  VMFA: Futures, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA (curated by Jaynelle Hazard)

2018  Absence & Presence, Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Biennial, Washington, DC (curated by Helen Frederick and Peter Winant)

2017  Aftermath: Cycles of Rebuilding, George Mason University MFA exhibition, NOVA Community College Fine Art Gallery, Alexandria, VA

2017  Alumni Show, 1920 Gallery, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN

2017  The Nonesuch Art of Paper Awards, Main & Station, Parrsboro, Nova Scotia (juried, catalogue)

2017  University Combine, Capital One, Richmond, VA (curated by Francis Thompson)

2016  W.H.A.T. Now: Women/Healing/Art/Transformation, Clifford Chance, Washington, DC

2013  PaperWorks, Upstream Gallery, Dobbs Ferry, NY (juried)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE 

2022  Workshop Instructor, Cyanotypes, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington

2021  Adjunct Professor, Gordon College in Orvieto, Italy (Sculpture Studio, Fall 2021)

2021  Instructor, Paper Art Magic (Ages 5-7), Arlington Arts Center (now MoCA Arlington)

2021  Adjunct Professor, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (Zines & Self-Publishing, Spring 2021)

2020  Adjunct Professor, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (Digital Printmaking, Spring 2020)

2019  Workshop Instructor, Cyanotypes, IA&A Hillyer, Washington DC

2018  Graduate Lecturer, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (Paper, Print, Book, [instructor of record], Spring 2018)

2018 Teaching Assistant, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (Senior Project, Spring 2018)

2017  Graduate Lecturer, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (Printmaking I, [instructor of record], Fall 2017)

2017  Workshop Instructor, Beginning Silkscreen Printing, Greater Reston Arts Center, Reston, VA

2017  Workshop Instructor, “Make Your Own Vessel,” Smith Center for Healing & the Arts, Washington, DC

2017  Workshop Instructor, Papermaking, Paper Print & Book summer course, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2017  Workshop Instructor, Papermaking, “Re-Imagining Community” (high school students), George Mason University 

2017  Teaching Assistant, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (Sculpture I, Spring 2017)

2013  Teaching Assistant, Gordon College in Orvieto, Italy (studio classes for Fall Semester, 2013)

ARTS ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE

2019—2025  Event Manager, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

2018—2019  Graduate Professional Assistant, Fenwick Gallery, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2014—2016  Alchemical Vessels Exhibition + Benefit Coordinator, Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, Washington, DC

Curatorial EXPERIENCE

2025  Hits Different: 5 Under 35, Brentwood Arts Exchange, Brentwood, MD

2025  Hickok Cole Art Night 2025,* Washington, DC

2025  Washington Project for the Arts Collectors’ Night 2025 Art Auction,* Washington, DC and on Artsy

2024  Hickok Cole Art Night 2024,* Washington, DC

2024  Washington Project for the Arts Collectors’ Night 2024 Art Auction,* Washington, DC and on Artsy

2023  Washington Project for the Arts Collectors’ Night 2023 Art Auction,* Washington, DC and on Artsy

2019  J Carrier: Elementary Calculus, Fenwick Gallery, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2019  It’s Personal: Zines & Artist Books, Fenwick Gallery, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2018  [Land]scape, Fenwick Gallery, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2017  Spencer Dormitzer: You Don’t need to.. If you have to…, Metro Micro Gallery, Arlington, VA

* within my work as Events Manager with WPA: led the artist and artwork selection (90-110 artists each event,  150-220 artworks) and curated exhibition layout

GRAPHIC DESIGN EXPERIENCE

2016—present  Freelance Graphic Design work, primarily print publication & Exhibition catalog design

2022—2025  Resident Designer, Washington Project for the Arts

2015—2020  NEWLIFE Church, La Plata, MD & Alexandria, VA

STUDIO ASSISTANT EXPERIENCE

2017  Papermaking Project Assistant for artist Mark Kelner, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

2011-2013  Printmaking Studio Assistant, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN

2012  Studio Summer Intern, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Silver Spring, MD

LECTURES   

Artist Talk, Messiah University, January 2026

Visiting Artist Presentation & Demonstration, Handpapermaking class at Messiah University, September 2025

Visual Voices, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, March 2019

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“AAC Off the Wall: Emily Fussner,” video interview, In Conversation with Blair Murphy, Director of Exhibitions at Arlington Arts Center, August 2020.

Mark Jenkins, “In the galleries: An exhibition that draws attention to overlooked issues,” Washington Post, August 23, 2019.

IA&A at Hillyer and Emliy Fussner, “In Light Of- : Q & A with Emily Fussner,” IA&A Hillyer Blog, August 7, 2019.

Liza Saunders, “Absence Presence,” SOA Today, Fall 2018.

Mark Jenkins, “In the galleries: Circles of life at annual benefit for people living with cancer,” Washington Post, April 27, 2018.

Christin Taylor, “{Artist Feature} Emily Fussner: Broken Down and Made New,” Annesley Writers Forum, May 18, 2017.