Name: Janalee Emmer
BYU employee since: 2014
My job at BYU is … one of the best at BYU. I get to research and organize exhibitions, and I oversee educational programs at the Museum of Art. I also love working with and teaching BYU students.
Currently I’m working on … so many projects! Several upcoming exhibitions, possible acquisitions, new ideas for tours and educational programs, just to name a few.
I’m currently reading … a stack of books by my bedstand! I like a mix of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, biography and spiritual books. But, it takes me a while to get through them that way!
Travel and study abroad ... sparked my interest in my field. But, I did play the game Masterpiece a lot when I was young. It’s a board game where you become different art collectors, and buy and sell artwork at auction. I think it was my first real introduction to artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Cassatt, even before I knew who they were.
When I have 30 minutes of free time, you can find me … learning to play the baritone ukulele. This has been my new COVID hobby; I’m definitely a beginner, but it has been very entertaining. My grandmother played all of the time, so it’s fun to think of her when I play.
My advice to incoming freshmen is … take as many diverse classes as you can! You’ll never have the opportunity to study so many different things from experts.
My advice to graduating seniors is … dream big, work hard and be patient and flexible as the Lord unfolds a future bigger than you expected.
My favorite spot on campus is … the MOA, of course!
On Saturday mornings you’ll find me … on a fun run on the Jordan River Parkway.
My go-to comfort food is … chips and salsa.
You’ll never find me without … a book and a crossword puzzle.
One of my favorite quotes is … "If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." –Martin Luther King, Jr.
One item on my bucket list is ... traveling to all seven continents.
If I could travel anywhere, I would go to … Paris because it’s magical and my favorite place to explore.
