Emily Luhrs

Emily Luhrs is a collaborative leader and educator with more than a decade of experience spanning arts education, school operations, and professional performance. She began her work at The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2017 as a guest teaching artist and director of special programs for Middle School Programs. Since officially joining the Academy’s faculty in 2019 and moving into an administrative role in 2022, Emily has been instrumental in fostering a positive, empowering campus culture.

Her leadership is marked by a commitment to clarity, compassion, and operational excellence– supporting faculty, staff, and students alike with thoughtful, steady guidance. With a background in musical theatre performance and years of experience as a teaching artist and theater-maker, Emily remains passionate about the intersection of creativity and structure. During the Arts portion of the day, Emily continues to teach and direct productions for the Academy's Theatre and Musical Theatre Departments.

Outside of school, she is a mom and an avid distance runner– having completed over twenty marathons and nine 100-mile ultramarathons.