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 contributing to ‘...derelict in uncharted space...’, 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 a visiting professor at Northeastern University, a research associate with MIT Spatial Sound Lab, and a studio resident at Vernon Street Studios.
Currently accepting commissions for art + film direction, music supervision, and closed captioning/sonic descriptions. Adores opportunities to talk inclusive design + disability justice with art, design, and UX students.
Some of her favorite opportunities to-date include contributing to ‘...derelict in uncharted space...’, 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 a visiting professor at Northeastern University, a research associate with MIT Spatial Sound Lab, and a studio resident at Vernon Street Studios.
Currently accepting commissions for art + film direction, music supervision, and closed captioning/sonic descriptions. Adores opportunities to talk inclusive design + disability justice with art, design, and UX students.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
SELECTED PRESS
SELECTED SCREENINGS / PERFORMANCES
Into the Ground, Into the Body x Justin Looper • Egleston Square Library • Boston, MA [2024]
pink moon x Gregory Beson • Dear Friend Books • Brooklyn, NY [2024]
Low Frequency Travel Agency (SOLO) • Black Iris Gallery • Richmond, VA [2013]
Haggle (Sound for Leslie Rogers) • Anderson Gallery • Richmond, VA [2013]
Interstitial Transduction • InLight • Richmond, VA [2012]
SELECTED PRESS
Nelly Kate decenters sound in new public art installation • Daily Free Press [2024]
Sound of Mettle • QC Nerve [2021]
Halls of Memories • Style Weekly [2015]
Sound Scavenging • Style Weekly [2014]
The Astonishing Nelly Kate • RVA Magazine [2011]
SELECTED SCREENINGS / PERFORMANCES
Transistors in Translation x Access Lab Library • MIT Theater Arts • Cambridge, MA [2024]
~~~~~‘...derelict in uncharted space...’ x Fayen d’Evie, Benjamin Hancock, Rebecca Bracewell, Andy Slater, Jon Tjhia, Lloyd Mst, Georgina Kleege, and Luke King
Chunky Move • Melbourne Fringe Festival — Melbourne, AUS [2023]
Low Frequency Travel Agency
TEDxRVA [2014]
Black Iris Gallery [2014-Present]
And Then We Were Jumping (Score for Jordan Bruner x Eve Ensler)
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]