Emilya Colliver – CEO & Founder, Art Pharmacy & Sugar Glider

Emilya Colliver is the CEO and Founder of Art Pharmacy and Sugar Glider, leading Australian art consultancies driving innovation in the arts. With over 20 years of experience across public and private sectors, she is passionate about championing Australian artists in a fast-evolving global market.

Her work is built on strong leadership, inclusivity, and deep stakeholder engagement, energising and uniting those around her. She specialises in digital strategy, curatorial practice, large-scale public art commissions, and place-making initiatives, delivering projects that shape vibrant and meaningful cultural experiences.

An entrepreneur at heart, Emilya has founded four arts and culture businesses in the past five years, all dedicated to creating a sense of place through arts and culture. She has also authored two books—Making Art Matter (2020) and The Art Project (2023)—offering insights into the intersection of art, business, and community.

Emilya’s expertise spans corporate, government, and community-driven projects, from public arts activations to private collections and internationally recognised institutions. She has worked with some of the world’s top art organisations, including The British Museum, and plays a key role in the NSW & VIC arts scene, serving on advisory boards such as City of Sydney’s Night-Time Economy Committee and Randwick Council’s Cultural Advisory Group.

As the founder of B-Corp-certified Art Pharmacy, Emilya is committed to sustainability and social impact. With the expansion of her digital arts agency, Sugar Glider, she continues to explore new frontiers in digital and immersive art, fostering radical innovation at the intersection of arts, technology, and urban cultural policy.

Moving forward, Emilya aims to further amplify the role of art in shaping cities, communities, and digital landscapes, creating transformative experiences that bridge public, private, and creative sectors.

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