Shivangi Sinha
For Emily Ustach, the opportunity to live secretly inside Providence Place Mall proved to be a life-altering experience. As one of the eight people involved, the project came to represent far more than the space itself. The bonds she formed with the others quickly became central, and the experience evolved into a quiet test of how long they could remain unnoticed. In Netflix’s ‘Secret Mall Apartment,’ Emily reunited with the group for the first time and reflected on her role by sharing what the experience meant to her and how deeply it shaped her life.
Emily Ustach Understood the Importance of the Providence Place Mall Group
Emily Ustach spoke about how the small community that formed in the mall revolved around Michael Townsend. She described the relationships among everyone involved and said she looks back on that time with great fondness. Despite the secrecy and the constant awareness that someone could walk in at any moment, the space became a source of calm and quiet. Everyone who spent time there learned to relax and make the most of it. Emily emphasized that the experience was shared collectively, creating memories that remain warm and meaningful, something they would always reflect on with appreciation and nostalgia.
Emily Ustach is Working in the Education Department at Rhode Island
Emily Ustach was raised in Eastern North Carolina, and she grew up surrounded by artists and scientists. She earned her BA in Art History and Studio Art from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2004, followed by an MA in Community-Based Arts Education from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2006. Early in her career, Emily joined the AmeriCorps VISTA program from 2005 to 2007 through the Rhode Island School of Design and the Rhode Island Campus Compact. From 2007 to 2010, she served as Program Coordinator at Rhode Island Campus Compact, where she managed statewide student service programs, founded an annual student conference, and oversaw federal service-learning grants. Simultaneously, she began her long association with New Urban Arts, joining as a studio manager in the summer of 2007.
Over the years, Emily contributed as an artist mentor, volunteer, and chair of the 2011 Program Committee. In 2010, she moved to The Learning Community Charter School as AmeriCorps Program Director and Communications Associate, overseeing the creation and expansion of the Education Fellowship program. Under her leadership, the corps grew from four to twelve members, with 100% recruitment and retention, while Emily ensured members were prepared to succeed and explore professional possibilities. In 2013, Emily became Director of Programs at New Urban Arts, later serving as Deputy Director from 2013 to 2023.
During this decade, she expanded programming, launched the post-secondary support program called A Life After School, created permanent Resident Artist Mentor positions, established a satellite program at Central High School, and oversaw major facility renovations in 2016 and 2021. From 2017 to 2019, she participated in the National Afterschool Matters Fellowship at Wellesley College, deepening her expertise in afterschool program quality, leadership, and reflection. Since June 2023, Emily has been working as an Expanded Learning Opportunity Consultant at the Rhode Island Department of Education, bringing her decades of experience in youth-centered arts education and non-profit program development to a statewide platform.
Emily Ustach Shares Her Life With Her Husband and Their Pet
Emily Ustach tends to keep her personal life private. She is married to Michael, and the couple appears to be based in Providence, Rhode Island. Despite her professional commitments, she maintains a close relationship with her mother, Tracy Ustach. She also has an adorable cat named Kepler in her life. Beyond this, Emily shares little publicly about her personal life, focusing primarily on her work in youth arts education, community programs, and her ongoing contributions to New Urban Arts and statewide initiatives in Rhode Island.
