Kat Meler
is an artist, creative director, and producer who has worked on a variety of transmedia projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. This combination of disciplines and experience has made her quite adept in the fields of Experiential Design and Community Building with emphasis on vernacular culture with lasting effects.
Oakland, CA –– kat@katmeler.com
Education
2010 BA in Studio Art, Minor in American Studies – University of California, Davis
Projects and Events
Ongoing
2022 - Yarrow Nursery, Broadway Terrace Nursery, Oakland CA Team lead and sales associate at small, sustainability-focused retail plant nurseries (two “sister” locations). Customer service, plant care, team supervision, merchandising, POS, custom succulent and orchid arrangements, social media content creation.
2018 -
Independent landscape gardening design, installation, and maintenance.
2017 - Bulbs of Spring - Oakland, San Francisco, McCloud CA, Portland OR, Denver CO
Creator and producer of annual daffodil bulb giveaway.
2013 - Bedtime Story Hotline, San Francisco CA
Creator, curator, and lead narrator of automated storytelling service: 469-4-DREAMS.
L’Histoire — Past Roles
2020 - 2022 Annie’s Annuals + Perennials, Richmond, CA Senior customer service associate, social media producer at large retail plant nursery. Customer service, merchandising, POS, social media content creation.
2018 - 2022 Story For All, remote
Bookkeeper at community storytelling nonprofit. Quickbooks.
2016 - 2021 Theatre Bay Area, San Francisco CA
Bookkeeper at theatre community support nonprofit. Quickbooks.
2019 - 2020 San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco CA
Front of house relations and concessions at empathy-focused nonprofit theatre at Union Square.
2016 - 2019 Hoover Institute of War, Revolution, and Peace – Stanford University, Palo Alto CA
Assistant book and paper preservation technician at archive. Housing, repair, imaging, museum exhibit preparation.
2019 Audio Garden by Ellen Juhlin
Guest artist. Bedtime Story Hotline original programming for audio exhibit.
2018 Caravan Rally 2018: Here There Be Dragons - Explorers’ Guild Troop 001, Oakland, CA to Ashland OR
Guest artist. 24 hour community-building interactive theatre road trip.
2018 Terrible Blooms by Melissa Stein - Opening Reception at The Bindery, San Francisco CA
Guest artist. Performed original cicatra-kintsugi (gilding of scars with gold leaf) upon guests at local public literary event.
2017 Infernal Motel - Epic Immersive, the Rathskeller Club, San Francisco CA
Olfactory set design and production for site-specific immersive theatre piece.
2017 Heartbeat Braiding - Flower Piano by Sunset Piano // SF Botanical Gardens, San Francisco CA
Designed, produced, and led original game to engage guests to playfully experience live music.
2017 Obfuscia Hotel - Foma Labs for The Battery Club, San Francisco CA
Guest artist. Creator, producer, video curator, vapor projection performer for “Pythia".”
2017 Elasticon - Elastic, San Francisco CA
Co-producer and art director of creative demo opening for keynote speech.
2017 Experience and Immersive Design - University of California, Berkeley
Guest lecturer - “The Role of Scent in Experiential and Immersive Design”
2012 - 2017 Illustration & Department, Academy of Art University, SF CA
Artists’ model for fine art, comic book art, illustration, animation.
2016 Deliciously Unexpected – Wasserman Media Group for Pepsico, San Francisco CA
Guest artist and game-runner. Developed perfume, audio, and flavor pairings for table activation for "Social Palate" technology & food event
2016 Vodvil – The Magic Patio, San Francisco CA
Magician’s assistant.
2016 The Speakeasy – Boxcar Theatre, San Francisco CA
Assistant bookkeeper for immersive theatre production. Quickbooks.
2016 Stellar Displacement – Living Room Collective for Uncanny Valley Night Market, East Bay CA
Production design consultant, original game creation and facilitation.
2016 NIGHT RIDE Music Video – David Lynch and Crysta Bell, San Leandro CA
Special Effects Consultant: "Smoke and Vapors Department"
2016 Boutique Sensorium – Kulturehaus for Pepsico, Milan Italy
Guest artist, assistant set dresser, perfume designer, live interactive "scent" performance for 2 day private event at Milan Design Week
2016 One Last Day – The Rathskeller Club, San Francisco CA
Guest artist, perfume design and live immersive "scent" performance for original interactive play by Justin Oliphant.
2016 Living Room Collective – Our City Design Festival, Oakland CA
Set dressing design and production for installation at three day community event.
2015 - 2016 Illusions of Grandeur – The Magic Patio, San Francisco CA
Performer, stage illusion execution.
2015 Android Studio Commercial – Heist, San Francisco CA
Assistant art director, design, crafting and dressing of set, props and practical effects.
2015 The Headlands Gamble – First Person Travel, San Francisco CA
Guest artist, personalized interaction consultant, designer and producer.
2015 The Vessel, Latitude Society publication for Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Project manager and co-editor of printed community publication.
2015 Hinge – Vespertine Circus, Oakland CA
Game design consultant, original olfactory design and production.
2015 The Fallen Cosmos – San Francisco Institute of Possibility, San Francisco CA
Guest artist (“Music of the Cosmos” inspired by Amelia Hamrick) for 600+ participant event.
2015 Together in Axiom Festival, the Latitude Society for Nonchalance, Mendocino CA
Lead event coordinator, program creator and director, MC.
Three-day multi-site community-building event for 50+ participants and crew.
2015 Honey Tea Truck – Everyhere Logistics (“EHL”) and SF MOMA, San Francisco CA and USA tour
Creative and game design consultant.
2015 Solstice Eve Gala, the Latitude Society for Nonchalance, Oakland CA
Lead event coordinator, program creator and director. Co-writer of original folk song and narrative.
50+ crew, 300+ participants, site- specific multi-stage collaborative event at Children’s Fairyland.
2015 Book 2, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Original design and development for multi-site interactive experience.
Set design and production, prop curation.
Conception, script writing, creative direction and project management of original audio track, supporting lore and events.
2015 Town Hall, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, Oakland CA
Lead event coordinator. 200+ participant community event.
2014 - 2015 Praxis, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, San Francisco, Mendocino, & Oakland CA
Lead event coordinator. 12-20 participant member events (3-6 per week ongoing).
2014 - 2015 Speakeasy, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance
Lead event coordinator. 50+ guest member social mixer (bimonthly).
2014 - 2015 The Affairs Guild, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Creator and lead organizer of a 20+ person volunteer team which collectively organized and conducted up to 6 events per week for groups of 12 to 60 people.
2013 - 2015 The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Events Coordinator, Community Manager, Experiential Designer.
2014 Together in Axiom Festival, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, Mendocino CA
Lead event coordinator, program creator and director, MC. Three-day, multi-site community-building event for 50+ participants and crew.
2014 Book 1, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Production assistant, set and experience design, writing, voice acting, guest artist coordination, intern management, community building.
2013 Winter Solstice Praxis, Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Assistant event coordinator, production designer, set dresser, 40 guest private event.
2013 Collective Unconscious in the New Tactile Dome, Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Lead writer, solo performer. Site-specific performance in the Exploratorium.
2013 Adventure Design Group Presentation, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, San Francisco CA
Script development, interaction design, event planning, public speaking.
2013 “Blackbird Fly” Music Video – Volary, San Francisco CA
Production designer, costume producer.
2013 Together in Axiom Festival, The Latitude Society for Nonchalance, Mendocino CA
Production assistant, game-runner.
2012 - 2013 Cris Consignment, San Francisco CA
Customer service, personal shopping, online marketing including copywriting and photography.
2012 Vasper Systems, Mountain View CA
Site manager, executive assistant, personal trainer, program developer for biotech firm.
2011 - 2012 Montclair Skincare, Oakland CA
Research & development, manufacturing, marketing, S&H, workshop hosting, vending for independent holistic body-care company.
Carried by Whole Foods, Claremont Hotel Spa, various urban and suburban farmers’ markets.
2010 - 2011 Rio de Parras Organic Farm, Hollister - San Francisco Bay Area CA
Produce vendor for family farm at various urban and suburban farmers’ markets. Customer service, displays.
2010 Visual Aid, San Francisco CA
Intern. Donor outreach, artist support, art handling, and event coordination including gallery receptions and “Big Deal” live auction featuring works by Jean Claude & Christo and Rex Ray.
Public Speaking Engagements & Press
2017 Elastic Blog - "On Indexing Heartbeats and Ballet into Elasticsearch"
2017 Welcome Back to Twin Peaks - Online Premier: Chrysta Bell’s “Night Ride the Director’s Cut”
2017 University of California, Berkeley — Guest Lecturer: The Role of Scent in Experience Design
2017 Hoover Institution Press — Hammer, Sickle, and Soil: The Soviet Drive to Collective Agriculture, by Jonathan Daly
2016 Digiday - “Bluetooth parkas: Why PepsiCo is making wearable tech”
2016 Welcome Back to Twin Peaks - “Chrysta Bell & David Lynch’s Rockabilly Trap Stormer ‘Night Ride’ Gets Badass Video”
2016 Indie Wire – "David Lynch's 'Night Ride' Music Video with Chrysta Bell is Creepy & Sensual"
2016 The New York Times– "Your Vacation Mission? Find This Stolen Horse"
2016 Foma Labs - “On Responsibility In Immersive Experience”
2016 the Rathskeller Club – Lecture: "Olfactory Set Dressing"
2016 10 Watt Location - “Pepsi - Design Week Event”
2016 Luminel Code - “Augmented Reality Chocolates”
2016 Spark Design Awards - “Experience Award” Finalist: PepsiCo Boutique Sensorium
2016 Metamorphose Concept - “Pepsi Perfect Al Mix It Up & ‘The Boutique Sensorium’ Durant La Milano Design Week 2016”
2016 Vice – "My Year in San Francisco's $2 Million Secret Society Startup"
2016 San Francisco Magazine – "Inside San Francisco's Secret Magic Show Held on a Mission Patio"
2016 Ideo Labs - "The Magic Patio: Behind the Curtain at a Secret Magic Theatre in San Francisco"
2016 New York Times Magazine – "A Romantic Weekend for Two: Solving a Crime"
2016 Foma Labs - “Dieter Rams and the Art of Immersive Design”
2016 Foma Labs - “Ten Things We’ve Learned About Immersive Design”
2015 Longreads – “’We Value Experience’: Can a Secret Society Become a Business?”
2014 Designers and Geeks – Lecture: “Situational Design & The Art of Nonchalance”
2014 Adventure Design Group – Lecture: “Presentation and Conversation with Nonchalance”
2014 Entertainment Designer – “Entertainment Design Meets Real Life in Nonchalance"