Emily Altman is a Chicago-based theatrical scenic artist with well over 100 Chicagoland shows under her belt since graduating from Northern Illinois University in 2005 with her BFA in Technical Design for the Theatre.
She was the charge artist at Left Wing Scenic from 2006-2012 while freelancing painting with Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, Center for the Performing Arts, Big City Sets, Marriott Theatre, Creature Technology Company and Chicago Scenic. She worked for residential and commercial contractors while charging Mercury Theatre productions throughout 2018-2020, and lead teams of artists on large scale outdoor mural projects in downtown Chicago.
Beginning in 2021, Emily worked diligently to negotiate fair labor contracts between artists and companies and led the calls on 36 productions for some of the city’s most prominent institutions such as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writer’s, Porchlight, About Face, Remy Bumppo, Mercury, Theatre Wit, Windy City Playhouse, American Blues, Fever, and Starvox productions. In 2022 she accepted the paint shop supervisor position for The Theatre School at DePaul University where she teaches charge artistry for theatre. She is grateful that the Theatre School allows her to broaden her pedagogical scope by sponsoring her attendance at USITT where she teaches scenic art workshops and seminars aimed at attracting young artists to the performing art industries.