Born on Oct. 31, 1957 in Finlay, Ohio, artist and CalArts alumnus David L. Emerson (Film/Video MFA 1984) passed away on March 4, 2022 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. David achieved his Master of Fine Arts degree after earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from The Ohio State University.

Following his graduation from CalArts, David served as optical and special effects technician on various films while employed by Fantasy II Film Effects and several other companies in the Los Angeles area. David was part-time faculty for the CalArts School of Film/Video and served as advisor to the CAP Program for a brief period during the 1990s. David served as film studies instructor in coursework including Videography, Introduction to Film, and Film History at the Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the time of his death. David is survived by long-time best friend and husband, Clyde Howell (Dance MFA 90).