KELLY WORMAN
ABOUT KELLY WORMAN
Kelly Worman (b.1983) is an artist, curator, professor, and archivist based out of New York City. She holds an M.F.A. from Pratt Institute (2011) in New York, and an M.A. in Culture, Criticism, and Curation with distinction from Central Saint Martins (2015) in London. Worman teaches at Pratt Institute in New York. Recent exhibitions this year include “Women’s Work” at NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, NY, “Wildernesses” at Peninsula Art Space in Brooklyn, NY, “You + Me + Everyone” (solo exhibition) at Pratt Institute in New York, NY, "Summer of Love" at Freight + Volume in New York, NY, the Invitational at Barney Savage Gallery in New York, NY, "WE: Women Empowering Women" at Borghese Gallery on the North Fork, and "I See an Omen" at Benaco Arte in Sirmione, Italy. Worman was featured in NY Arts Magazine as one of "30 Artists to Watch" in 2012. Recent curatorial projects include "Shapes of Curiosity" at The Schneider Museum of Art in Oregon, "Surface Tension" and "Land After Time" at E.Tay Gallery in New York, NY and the last three (2015, 2016, 2017) Pratt Alumni Exhibitions at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Other recent projects and publications include "Karen Barth: Works 1979 - 2014" (a catalogue raisonné), "WYSIWYG?- What you see is what you get?" (a project in collaboration with South London Gallery, investigating the impact of the digital world on art and culture in the 21st century), the Studio Spoken project (interviewing artists about their studio practice), and "The (W)hole Picture– Transgressing/Abjecting Subjectivities in Art" in Unknown Quantities (written with Janice Mitchell). Worman also writes and speaks extensively on color theory, the role of artist as curator, and arts and economics at multiple institutions internationally. In addition to making work about the female experience, she is also an involved activist for women's rights, recently creating the fundraising campaign "Art for Reproductive Rights".
"Kelly Worman creates works using unusual materials, such as satin, to arrive at abstractions that explore modern relationships on a personal, collective, and cultural scale. Often, the central shapes in her works have a bodily resonance, and her works abound with references to the female body. The use of vibrant color in Worman’s compositions creates a sense of invigoration and excitement that are juxtaposed with unusual framing conventions. Her high-energy works explore gesture, color, rhythm, and space through intuitive improvisation and offer an expression of her experiences as a woman. Worman currently teaches at Pratt Institute."- Hollis Taggart, 2022
Please contact for more information: worman.kelly@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Central Saint Martins, London, UK — MA Culture, Criticism, & Curation, with distinction, 2014
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY —MFA, Painting & Drawing, 2011
New York University, New York, NY — Certificate in Graphic Design, 2007
Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ —Bachelors of Fine Arts and Education, 2006
SELECTED ARTIST EXHIBITIONS
2022 Shape Shifting, Hollis Taggart, curated by Paul Efstathiou, Southport, CT
2022 Here in Spirit, curated by Leah Guadagnoli, Eva Genevieve, and Jen Dwyer, The Church, Hillsdale, NY
2019 Wildernesses, Peninsula Art Space, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Women’s Work, NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Women’s Work, Columbia City Gallery, Seattle, WA
2018 Barney Savage Invitational, Barney Savage Gallery, New York, NY
2018 You + Me + Everyone, Solo Exhibition, SCPS Gallery, Pratt Institute, New York, NY
2018 Summer of Love, Freight + Volume, Arts + Leisure, New York, NY
2018 WE: Women Empowering Women, Castello di Borghese Gallery, Cutchogue, NY
2018 Meanwhile, La Casa Museo Pietro Malossi, Somefest, Ome, Italy
2018 I See an Omen, Benaco Arte, Sirmione, Italy
2017 DNA Residency 2017 Exhibition, Provincetown, MA
2017 Introductions, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Ortega 100, Ortega y Gasset Projects
2015 Making History, Arts in Bushwick, StoreFront Ten Eyck Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Pratt Alumni Exhibition, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2013 INsideOUTsideIN, IOTA Projects, New York, NY
2013 Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra Exhibition, New York, NY
2013 Spring Fever, Loft 594, Brooklyn, NY
2013 100 NYC Artists, Barranquilla, Colombia
2012 Hurricane Sandy Fundraiser, Studio 202, Brooklyn, NY
2012 Highline Open Studios Solo Exhibition, New York, NY
2011 Rogue Space Chelsea, New York, NY
2011 Pratt Manhattan Gallery, New York, NY
2011 Dekalb Gallery, MFA Solo Show, Brooklyn, NY
2011 Pratt Harlem Project Gallery, New York, NY
2010 Stueben Gallery, Pratt, Brooklyn, NY
2010 Taylor & Mackenzie, New York, NY
2009 Kelly Worman: Recent Work, Brooklyn Fireproof, Brooklyn, NY
2009 80 Washington Square East Gallery, New York, NY
2009 Art House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2009 Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), Atlanta, GA
2009 3rd Ward Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2009 Antena Gallery, Chicago, IL
2009 Laconia Gallery, Boston, MA
2009 Museum of Contempory Art DC, Washington, DC
2009 Art House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2008 Artists Space, New York, NY
2008 Agni Zotis Gallery, Reflect Arts, New York, NY
2008 Art Gotham Gallery, New York, NY
2008 Agni Zotis Gallery, New York, NY
2008 80 Washington Square East Gallery, New York, NY
2007 Soho20 Gallery, New York, NY
2006 Ice House Gallery, Monmouth University, W. Long Branch, NJ
RECENT CURATED EXHIBITIONS
2018 Untitled Art Fair, Pratt Fine Arts, Miami, FL
2017 Surface Tension at E.Tay Gallery, co-curator, New York, NY
2017 Shapes of Curiosity, The Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, Oregon
2017 Primary Gesture, Pratt Alumni Exhibition at Pratt Institute, co-curator, Brooklyn, NY
2016 Karen Barth, New York, NY
2016 ABSTRACT EVERYTHING, Pratt Alumni Exhibition, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2016 LAND AFTER TIME, E.Tay Gallery, New York, NY
2015 EVERY NOW + AGAIN, Pratt Alumni Exhibition, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Idem: on Collective Identity, Lethaby Gallery, London, England
2013 Bianca Pratorious: Hives. Ground Arts. New York, NY
2013 The 6%, The Art Mint, New York, NY
2013 Art Start “Home” Exhibition. Ground Arts. New York, NY
2013 MO: Modus Operandi. Ground Arts. New York, NY
2013 Fracture and Fragmentation. Thomas Hunter Projects. Hunter College. New York, NY
2012 Forward. Rewind. Repeat. Ground Arts. New York, NY
2012 Paper:Work. Ground Arts. New York, NY
2011 12 Painters, 12 Hours. Rogue Space Chelsea. New York, NY
2010 Introductions, Taylor & Mackenzie, New York, NY
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2020 Energetic Tensions: Vulnerability vs. Formal Play in the Work of Kelly Worman, The Coastal Post, written by Jen
Shepard (featured artist)
2018 Art Uncovered with Kimberly Ruth, podcast (featured artist interview)
2018 House Beautiful Magazine, March Issue, 2018 (featured educator)
2017 Jefferson Public Radio (featured artist and curator interview)
2017 ‘Shapes of Curiosity’ Curator Interested in ‘In-Betweens’, Ashland Daily Tidings (featured curator interview)
2016 Making History: Bushwick, Book/ survey of the Bushwick art scene (featured artist)
2015 The (W)hole Picture– Transgressing/ Abjecting Subjectivities in Art by Kelly Worman and Janice Mitchell, Unknown
Quantities, 2015 Issue (writer)
2014 Kelly Worman with Will Hutnick, Painting is Dead, August 2014 (interview)
2013 Community Support from the Ground Up: Curated Series. NY Arts Magazine. Winter 2013 Issue. pg.14
(featured curator)
2012 30 Artists to Watch in 2012 : NY Arts Magazine (Online Edition, featured artist)
2012 HESA In Print. February 2012 (featured artist).
2011 On Doubt. Create an Accident for the PINAKOTHEK project (featured artist).
2011 Issue Number 8, November 2011 . Methods of Being (featured poet).
LECTURES
2018-2021 Professional Practices, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2017 Fine Arts: Entrepreneurship and the Creative Economy, Oregon Center for the Arts
2017 Structure in the Arts, NYC Creative Salon, New York, NY
2016 Kelly Worman: Artist & Curator, The Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR
2015 Artist as Curator, Moderator, Post-Pratt Panel, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Labor in the Arts, Moderator, NYC Creative Salon, New York, NY
2015 Research in the Arts, Panelist, Odetta Gallery, NYC Creative Salon, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Defining Success, Lecturer, Loft 594 & Honey Ramka, Brooklyn, NY
2012 The Big Bad Art Market, Panel Discussion, Panelist. Pratt Institute. Brooklyn, NY
2011 5 Artists to Watch, Scope NYC Panel Discussion, Moderator. Soho House. New York, NY
2008-2010 In house lecturer for Artist Marketing Conference Weekends. Both Panelist and Moderator. Rogue Space
Chelsea. New York, NY
OTHER PRO JECTS
2022 Art for Reproductive Rights, Fundraiser to support National Network of Abortion Fund’s Collective Power Fund,
Organizer
2019 Art for Reproductive Rights, Fundraiser to support the Yellowhammer Fund, co-organizer
2014 WYSIWYG? Project and conference in collaboration with South London Gallery on the impact of digital on art and
culture. (at South London Gallery)
2010- Present Studio Spoken, interviewing artists about their studio practice.
PROF E S S IONA L A F F I L I A T IONS
2022 - Present - American Association of Archivists
2013- Present - Pratt Institute Alumni Advisory Board Member
2014 Central Saint Martins MACCC Course Representative