Emma Smoluchowski

Teaching Artist

Emma became a Teaching Artist at Creative Art Works in 2024, bringing over 11 years of experience teaching in NYC public schools. She specializes in both visual arts and creative movement, developing culturally relevant curricula in areas such as printmaking, drawing, collage, and self-portraiture, alongside creative movement classes, samba, and yoga/meditation. Emma’s hands-on, process-oriented approach encourages students to explore their creativity while building confidence through artistic expression. She is passionate about creating a classroom environment where learning is driven by fun and exploration. Emma firmly believes that growth and learning thrive in a warm, welcoming, safe, and enjoyable setting, and she works hard to foster that space for her students.

Emma holds a B.A. from The New School University, Eugene Lang College. Over the years, she has had the privilege of working as a teaching artist with Marquis Studios, the Public Preparatory Network, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Urban Arts Partnership, and El Taller Latino Americano. She has extensive experience teaching bilingual (Spanish/English) students and working in District 75 schools.

As a dancer, Emma’s focus is on Afro-Brazilian samba no pé, and she has been part of dance companies in NYC, while also traveling to Rio de Janeiro to continue her studies. She co-founded a non-profit with fellow dancers that brings Brazilian dancers from Rio to New York City, fostering cultural exchange and artistic collaboration.

Emma’s visual arts journey led her to work as a studio assistant at Gowanus studio print show and to an artist residency at La Ceiba Gráfica in Veracruz, Mexico, where she continued to focus on printmaking. She also completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Abhaya Yoga in 2021, which influences her integrated approach to creative movement and mindfulness in the classroom.