Judith Houston Emerson studied sculpture, painting, and drawing at the Art Students League in New York distinguishing herself in the 1990 Gallery Concours Show (sculpture). She was also awarded a scholarship in drawing.

Prior to four years at the Art Students League, Judith studied art history, drawing, and sculpture in Florence, Italy. She also attended the Academy of Realist Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico and most recently, she studied painting in La Coste, France.

In addition to her formal training in New York City, the artist spent countless hours drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attended open studio Life Drawing groups in SoHo two or three times a week over a period of five or six years.

Following employment at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in 1997, Judith returned to her home state of Oklahoma to work as a consultant for Philbrook Museum and the Cherokee Museum. She designed and taught a seminar course at the University of Central Oklahoma on Indian Art History and has judged various art competitions, including the annual Trail of Tears Exhibition at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. ( May 2003) As a result of the scope of Judith's training and life experience the themes of her work are far reaching. The Figure Drawing classes she has taught focus on Artistic Anatomy in the vein of the Old Masters. The artist facilitated her own Open Studio drawing groups in Oklahoma City.

The Mythmakers:

Not a western and not a page turner in the sense of a plot driven story, my debut historical novel The Mythmakers has many strong, imaginative characters that may lend themselves to sequels. From the verbose Billy Twilight to the eccentric little medicne man Isaac Smoke, to the strange woman Comes Back at Night who came to the Cherokee from the Shawnee. The emphasis is not on the Trail of Tears. As suggested by the title I explore fractured myths that occurred after 1800 as the Cherokee people attempt to keep their cultural identity while adapting many aspects of Chrisitianity to thei ir shattered world view. The narrative might lend itself to a film project...

Following the earthquakes of 1811, false prophets appear as the Cherokee attempt to re-vitalize their ancient religion amidst the missionaries, their schools, and white intrusion of every kind. This is where my story begins. Having already given readings at American Indian Community House in New York and at the local Barnes & Noble, I have been promised a book signing at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York once I get The Mythmakers into print. Interested agents please contact Judith Emerson at pokesaladjudie@gmail.com