Founder and director, Lulu McPharlin, is a former mental health counselor who now works as an interdisciplinary art experience designer with special interests in neuroaesthetics and personal empowerment.
Her work and the mission of Emerge Art Spa focuses on healing and restoration of self-trust, personal empowerment, and liberation through sensory-rich immersive art experiences. These one-of-a-kind experiences are an immersive interactive guided meditation of sorts that connect people to their inner selves, to the present moment, to nature, and to community in ways that invoke awe, wonder, a sense of playfulness, and personal power that is meaningful, memorable, and transformational.
Most recently, Lulu is working on hosting an immersive photography retreat in Costa Rica and creating special features for the Emerge Art SpaTM, which will consist of unique sensory-rich art experiences that foster relaxation, rejuvenation, inspiration, and connection.
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Mixed Media Art Collage
When I create mixed media work, I primarily combine elements of photography, acrylic painting, and collage to to create surrealist images and to introduce concepts, evoke emotions, and play with expectations.
Photography-Nature and Travel
Below is a small sample of my travel and nature photography. I enjoy playing with big and small picture concepts as well as interesting compositions and naturally occurring framing. I always want to capture what that particular moment or place felt like through the visual image I create.
Double Exposure Photography
One of my favorite magic tricks is double exposure photography! I love to use it to capture the essence of someone, to share a certain concept, to show relationships, to cause curiosity, and to inspire play.
Retreat and Event Photography
Typically I photograph retreats and events in a documentary style, attempting to capture natural and candid powerful moments, themes, and the essence of the event. Feel free to reach out to me to learn more about how can I help capture your retreat or event.
Installations and Events
Shadow Work Installation at the Midvale Main Art House
Manifesting Dreams Through the Elements
This installation ran at the Midvale Main Art House through November and December 2024 and consisted of a walk through winter elements: earth, fire, air, and water with the smell of winter pine infused into the air and a dusting of snow sprinkling the ground. At each element, guests were encouraged to participate with that element in a process of manifesting what they dream of and letting go of what was in the way for them. They were invited to hold rocks and ground themselves at the earth element, write down what they wanted to let go of and “burn” it in our fire element, write down their wish on a feather and hang it in the wind in our air element, and reflect on their feelings of accomplishment in the light and mirror waterfall of our water element. At the completion of this installation, we burned the feather wishes in an outdoor ceremony in the beautiful snowy mountains of Big Sky Montana to deliver them to the universe. Have a look at the exhibit through my instagram post here!
Art Oracle Readings
Our Art Oracle installation ran throughout the summer of 2024 at local art and psychic fairs and now resides at the Midvale Main Art House. This interactive display invites visitors to relax and breath in the air filled with vetiver and frankincense while they select a piece of art that calls to them. Each piece of art is accompanied by a unique message for the participant. Visitors can enjoy this installation on their own or have a more extensive art oracle reading with Lulu that also employs sound and some reflection questions that help the visitor to connect more deeply with the message of the art. This piece introduces visitors to the unique ability that art has to connect us to our subconscious mind, our wants/needs, and our dreams.
Midvale Art House Opening and Mural Fest
We had our official soft opening at the MIdvale Art House during the Midvale Mural Festival on June 8, 2024. For this event, we set up a special mini-mural sensory-rich experience that included visual art, scent, and sound in an indoor mini-size brick alley way.
Labyrinth Installation on World Labyrinth Day at The Lotus Center
We created a public installation of a sensory-rich indoor walkable labyrinth as a free community event on World Labyrinth Day (May 4, 2024) at The Lotus Center for Wellness in Salt Lake City, Utah. Participants were able to walk an indoor labyrinth made of lights accompanied by visual art, scents, and sounds to make them feel as though they were immersed in a zen garden at dusk. The main labyrinth contained a surprise reveal in the center, and there were surrounding activities such as a letting go ritual, an inspiring card draw, special macarons made by Chef Alli McPharlin, and a take-home art postcard with a finger labyrinth. Check out the gallery below for some images from this event.
“Enough” Social Experiment and Installation
The “Enough” project is newly emerging and is an experimental project in the form of an installation. This installation is both a stationary one and a portable one. We are hoping to get this installation into both businesses and homes. In addition to this being a project to improve self-worth and mental health, this project represents a disruption in traditional marketing messaging as well as a means of creating safer spaces in public places and businesses.
Enough Project
Coffeeclad Collective Inspiration
“Coffeeclad” is a project in planning that will be a widespread public-created installation in which coffeeshops make a community notebook available for their customers to write in or draw in to offer inspiration to other creators. Additions to these books will be randomly selected and shared in a public web-accessible installation.