Holly Garriott

Holly Garriott serves as Teaching Assistant Professor at East Carolina University's School of Art & Design and Executive Director of the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge Gallery, maintaining an active dual role bridging academic instruction and community arts administration.

Her educational background includes an MFA in Ceramics from East Carolina University, forming the foundation for her community-engaged practice.

Research and teaching center on community arts methodologies, with emphasis on festival production, public art programming, and ceramics-based community projects. Students gain direct experience managing PirateFest and the Community Youth Arts Festival—developing skills in budgeting, stakeholder coordination, and event execution within real community contexts. This practice-led approach prioritizes civic engagement over traditional studio research.

Garriott's unique position as both academic and arts council director creates integrated learning pathways where classroom theory immediately translates to community application through Emerge Gallery partnerships.