RÉSUMÉ
1996 - present University of Rhode Island, College of Human Services and Sciences
Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design
Instructor: Apparel Design (TMD 327)
Instructor:
Portfolios & Presentations (in Spring Term from '98)
Direction of independent studies
Supervision of internships
2005 Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK
The Design Process Workshop
Created and directed a week-long workshop based on my own book (then in manuscript) : The Design Process (Fairchild Publications, New York, 2006)
Workshop Web site: http://www.karlaspelund.com/workshop/
1996- 2004 Rhode Island School of Design, Dept. of Continuing Education.
Introduction to Illustration and Design for
Apparel (Summer '04)
Fashion Design I & II (‘96-’00)
Lecturer: History of Fashion ('97)
Lecturer: Life and Work of Christian Dior ('97) (Lecture and field trip to N.Y. for Metropolitan Museum retrospective)
1995- 1996 The Reykjavik School of Technology, Iceland
Department Chair, Industrial Design,
1992- 1996 The Reykjavik School of Technology, Iceland
Professor of Apparel Design & Costume History
1989 -1994 The Icelandic School of Drama:
Guest Lecturer on Costume History and Theory of Costume
1988 -1991 The Association of Icelandic Theaters:
Lectures on Costume History and Theory of Costume & Workshops for Actors, Directors and Designers:
"Props and Set as Character-Formation Tools", "Clothes Make the Man - Creating a Character with Costume",
"Set Design in Poor Theater"
2001-present Mid Ocean Studio, Providence Rhode Island
Designer, Researcher
The Mid Ocean Studio is led by the sculptor Brower Hatcher
Responsibilities:
Software used (PC platform):
AutoCAD 2000, 3dMax, PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe AfterEffects, Sony Acid Music Studio, Frontpage
1999 - 2002 Exhibit A, Providence Rhode Island
Senior Designer of Trade Show Exhibits
Responsibilities:
Theatrical Set and Costume Design
Credits to date number more than 40 full-scale productions, mainly in Iceland. These include:
The Icelandic National Ballet- Designer in Residence 1994-1995
The Icelandic National Theater- Designer in Residence 1986-1988
Freelance Theatrical Designer 1988-1996
Theatrical Credits Include:
5 ballets (modern), 1 operetta (Die Fledermaus), 5 children’s plays (one of which I co-wrote and designed after my own unpublished story) and 2 musicals (Les Miserables, Cabaret).
Also note: Romeo and Juliet, Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Dangerous Liaisons, Steel Magnolias, The Road to Mecca and Bent.
Film Art Direction and Costume Design
1996 Costume Design: Djoflaeyjan/Devil's Island
Director: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson
Icelandic Entry, Academy Awards "Oscar" for Best Foreign Film 1997
1994 Art Direction: Benjamin Dufa/Benjamin Dove
Director: Gisli Snaer Erlingsson
Official Selection, Children's Film Festival, Berlin 1996
Best Film, Dublin Children's Film Festival 1997
1993 Costume Design & Wardrobe Master: Biodagar/Movie Days
Director: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson
Best Scandinavian Film of the Year, the Nordic Amanda Prize, 1994
Balticum Prize, Nordic Film Days, Lübeck, 1994
Icelandic Entry, Academy Award’s "Oscar" for Best Foreign Film, 1995
Public Prize, Festival de Laon France, 1995
Grand Prix, European Film Festival in Mamers en Mer, France, 1995
Grand Prix, XIVe festival du film d'environnement, Paris 1995
1992 Art Direction: Stuttur Frakki/Behind Schedule
Director: Gisli Snaer Erlingsson
Theatrical Director
1999 All Children's Theater, Providence
Director: The Waffle House - for ACT Young Playwrights Festival.
1998 NewGate Theater, Providence
Director of Sam Shepard's Simpatico
This production was the "Audition Piece" for my candidacy for Artistic Director of NewGate
1997 Actors Theater, Providence
Director of Athol Fugard’s Playland
1996 Actors Theater, Providence
Director of two one-act plays (Thinking of Egypt and The Bridge) as part of "Men’s Stories - Men Working" a presentation of 6 one act plays
Lighting Designer/ Stage Mgr./ Technical Director/ Actor/ Etc.
1998 -2000 Rhode Island Festival Ballet: Technical Director & Lighting Design
Lighting Design, Snow White, at RISD Auditorium, Techincal Diractor Nutcracker at PPAC, Lighting Peter and The Wolf (RISD)
1997 - 2001 Living Literature
Performing member of theatrical/educational group which presents literary readings to high schools and libraries
1998 All Children's Theater, Providence
Technical Director, Scenic Artist & Producer of Black Box Theater (Mentoring 3 young directors)
1998 Square One Theater Projects
Lead role - Pentheus - in Chuck Mee's Bacchae at the MetCafe Providence
Directed by Ann Brady and Kevin Oakes.
1997-1998 Rites and Reason Theater (Brown University)
Technical Director and Lighting Designer for The Dark Tower, Directors Playlab &
Ophelia's Cotillion
1998 Brown University
Lighting Design. Fusion Dance Co.
12 Short original pieces by student choreographers
1997 Rites and Reason Theater
Lighting, Set & Costume Design
She Who is Made of Clay
1997 NewGate Theater, Providence RI
Lighting Design New Englandish
1994-1996 Co-ordinator of Smirnoff International Fashion Award Show in Iceland
This involved running the competition among design students in Iceland, staging the annual fashion show and then mentoring and accompanying the Icelandic contestant to the International Competition in Dublin '94, Cape Town '95 (Winner!) and Toronto '96.
1994 Co-wrote & produced a play for children:
Julia, Guardian of the Moon after own story.
The play, for which I also designed costumes and set, staged by Iceland’s
leading children’s theater - under a grant from the Icelandic Ministry of
Education - ran to nearly 100 sold-out performances.
1992 Organizer/Designer/Stage manager
Coca-Cola Company's 50th Anniversary Rock-Show in Reykjavik.
12 bands, two stages, a helicopter, live television and radio and an
audience of 7000 on the Coca-Cola plant floor.
1992 Organizer/Designer/Stage manager
"Behind Schedule" Rock-Show in Reykjavik.
For the film Behind Schedule (see above) we staged and filmed a
Rock-Concert with 10 bands, 7 live cameras, before a live audience.
2007- present Boston University, University Professor's Program
Doctoral Candidate. Researching the socio-political significance of high-fashion design.
1983 - 1986 Wimbledon School of Art London, England
BA, Three-Dimensional Design, Dept. of
Theatre.
Dissertation: The Way of the Universe: A Cosmological Comparison of Modern Physics and Taoism
Publications and Presentations
Craft Traditions as Teachable Models for Sustainable Design
Talk at Nordic Handcrafts Association Conference in Reykjavik, Icleand, September 2007
The Design Process
Fairchild Publications, New York, 2006
A cross-disciplinary design textbook. Adopted by over 30 colleges in the year of its publication.
Art, Environment, and Social Experience.
Lecture with artist Brower Hatcher, Brown University, April 2006
Sponsored by Brown University's Div. of Engineering, Creative Arts Council, and Cogut Center for the Humanities
Workshop on the Design Process.
Goldsmiths College, London University, London UK, November 2005
Week-long workshop, Department of Computing, MSc Computing Arts Programme
Extensions of Self: Media, History, and the Perception of Style.
Lecture in "The Art and Science of Fashion" seminar, University of Rhode Island, Department of Textiles Fashion Merchandising and Design, April 2005
Computational Schemes for Biomimetic Sculpture, 5th International Conference on Creativity and Cognition (C&C), ACM SIGCHI Conference, pp.22-31, London, April 12–14, 2005.
Willis, A., Aspelund, K. et. al.
The Internet as Theater.
Presentation, New England Theatre Conference 1996, Providence, RI
Born in New York in 1963 to Icelandic parents, US citizen.
Moved to Providence, RI from Iceland in 1996.