Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emma Adler . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Emma , thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

To me, the answer isn’t a surprise. I saw this “trend” starting in 2017 when I was a freshman in college, starting with experimental video work and developing my YouTube channel, which now has about a quarter million subscribers. I had none back when I was starting; I didn’t even realize the artistic significance of digital platforms until now when most of my Master’s thesis is a direct conversation on the digital era. Not realizing just how big it was or was going to be. However, video art is headlining significantly; most of the 2024 Whitney Biennale showcased video work. I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this new media emerging into the art scene here in Atlanta.

Emma , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Emma Adler, but I’m known informally as AMI. That’s the name I gave my online persona when I was about 17 years old, starting college in New York, where I’m originally from. The name AMI is short for Amitah Tiferet; it’s Hebrew אמיתה תפארת. It was my way of staying true to my roots while exploring my developing artistic identity. You can call me Emma, though. I’m currently an Atlanta-based visual artist and a Master’s in Fine Arts candidate at the Savannah College of Art and Design; I’m also the Gallery manager at Gallery Anderson Smith—on top of being a content creator.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I need to figure out where to begin; my entire upbringing was meant with resistance from the outside world. That happens in our society when a single mom is raising you; people like to judge their ability to parent. I didn’t make it any easier by being so public from such a young age; I was posting a lot of content that I defined as performance art that received controversial pushback from all over. I’ve talked about these things before on TV and other news outlets, but I started my career as an artist pursuing sex work in college, and I don’t look back at that as a mistake; if anything, I believe I was premature to a critical political conversation that involves many other women artists who are doing similar work to what I am. I think that the truth is I’m not scared of anything, and I’m hyper-aware that my responsibility as an artist is to challenge conventional norms; it’s still a massive part of the work I do now, years later.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission has been consistent throughout my undergraduate and post-grad academic career: to adjust or at least showcase the current representation of women in the digital era of American culture. It’s a big task, but it’s something I’ve found myself in the center of without meaning to be. Sometimes, that’s how people find their true callings: waking up one day and realizing that if you don’t explain yourself or your surroundings, no one else will take the time to do it for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Emmaadler.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmaamiadler/
• Twitter: https://x.com/the1emmaadler?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AMIADLER