If you knew Emily, you knew that she was always the first to offer help in any way she could. She was an amazing wife, sister, daughter, caretaker, friend and above all, an incredible human being.

Emily studied at Monolith Tattoo Academy in Bend, Oregon, under Andy Beswick, where she had the opportunity to be part of his final class as an instructor. She graduated in 2022 and, from there, continued developing her craft and began building a business of her own. She created The Buckaroo Tattoo and, through years of hard work and dedication, went on to open her own studio, Smith Rock Tattoo Co, in Terrebonne. Emily worked incredibly hard to build her business from the ground up, and upon her passing, it was a successful staple in the Central Oregon community. 

Emily passed away unexpectedly and far too young. In the wake of that loss, her mom and husband offered Mary the opportunity to take over the studio and continue what Emily started.

Mary says, “I don’t think I can fully express what it means to be trusted with something that was so deeply hers. I’m incredibly grateful to them for trusting me to carry this space forward and continue to foster a place of creativity and mutual artistic support, things that Emily very much valued.

Emily and I shared many of the same hopes for our lives: to make art a central part of it, to build a place where artists could support, encourage, and learn from one another, and to create a community around the work we love. Those values are woven into this studio and strengthened by the community that surrounds us.

Every bit of love and support I’ve seen for Emily and for the work she created here has made it clear how much this place means to people. That is something I want to honor. My goal is to keep her memory in the studio, she is now an essential piece of its history.”

Thank you to everyone who has shown so much love and support to Emily’s loved ones and to the studio she created.