Nelly
Kate (she/her) grew up in the
American South, where she established a career in music and sound design. Her early work led her to tour nationally and to share the stage with artists such as tUnE-yArDs, Mirah, Stephen Vitiello, and Angel Olsen. She gradually expanded her engagement with the public beyond performance into installations of oral history projects, interactive sculpture, and itinerant walks.
In 2015, Nelly turned her focus to inaudible sound—exploring captions, sonic visualizations, and haptics. During her MFA candidacy at Cranbrook Academy of
Art (Print Media ‘21), she developed a technique for utilizing suminagashi marbling and
fluid cymatics to make ‘sound prints’.
Some of her favorite opportunities to-date include residencies at Haystack’s Open Studio, Walkaway House, Wedding Cake House; performances at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Mint Museum, and Mattress Factory; lectures/workshops at Parsons School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, American University, Portland Art Museum, and The American University of Paris.
She’s currently in residency at Boston Center for the Arts and collaborating on a project with Fayen d’Evie.
Currently accepting commissions for art direction, music supervision, and closed captioning/sonic descriptions. Adores opportunities to talk inclusive design with art, design, and UX students.
Some of her favorite opportunities to-date include residencies at Haystack’s Open Studio, Walkaway House, Wedding Cake House; performances at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Mint Museum, and Mattress Factory; lectures/workshops at Parsons School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, American University, Portland Art Museum, and The American University of Paris.
She’s currently in residency at Boston Center for the Arts and collaborating on a project with Fayen d’Evie.
Currently accepting commissions for art direction, music supervision, and closed captioning/sonic descriptions. Adores opportunities to talk inclusive design with art, design, and UX students.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
SELECTED PRESS
SELECTED SCREENINGS
Low Frequency Travel Agency (SOLO) • Black Iris Gallery • Richmond, VA [2013]
10-1 100 101 • Quirk Gallery • Richmond, VA [2013]
Haggle (Sound for Leslie Rogers) • Anderson Gallery • Richmond, VA [2013]
Interstitial Transduction • InLight • Richmond, VA [2012]
Sestina • The Rotunda • Philadelphia, PA [2008]
SELECTED PRESS
Sound of Mettle • QC Nerve [2021]
Halls of Memories • Style Weekly [2015]
Sound Scavenging • Style Weekly [2014]
Under 30 and on Their Way • Richmond Magazine [2012]
The Astonishing Nelly Kate • RVA Magazine [2011]
SELECTED SCREENINGS
Low Frequency Travel Agency
TEDxRVA [2014]
Black Iris Gallery [2014-Present]
And Then We Were Jumping (Score for Jordan Bruner)
CutOut Fest—Querétaro, Mexico [2014]
London International Animation [2014]
Animation Block Party — Brooklyn, NY [2014]
Fest Anca—Slovakia, Croatia [2014]
Animafest — Zagreb [2014]
Pictoplasma — Berlin [2014]
Anima Festival — Brussels [2014]