Emily Counihan

Board Member

Board member since 2026

Emily Counihan is an arts organizer based in San Francisco and the founding director of San Francisco Art Week. She holds a BAFA from Hunter College, CUNY, and an MA in Museum Studies from NYU, where her thesis, Pipelines to Change: Diversity in Art Museum Staffing, examined strategies for advancing equity within cultural institutions.

With over two decades of experience in the art world, Emily is committed to expanding access to the arts. Her work has focused particularly on art fairs and large-scale initiatives that convene artists, institutions, collectors, and the public.

Early in her career, while managing a gallery near Philadelphia dedicated to non-mainstream art, Emily developed a deep appreciation for the vital contributions artists with disabilities have made to art history, and the pioneering work of progressive studios such as Creativity Explored. Later, as Director of the Outsider Art Fair in New York, she collaborated with progressive studios supporting artists with disabilities who exhibited at the fair.

After relocating to San Francisco, Emily visited Creativity Explored’s studio and was immediately inspired by the artists, staff, and community. She is honored to support Creativity Explored’s important work, which serves as a model for progressive studios across the country and internationally.