About
ABOUT
Chalet Comellas is a new media artist working with text, electronics, video, and paint. Employing a range of generative processes, her interdisciplinary projects explore computational abstraction and poetically weave together ideas on technology, spirituality, and the collective unconscious. Her multimedia and text-based works often evoke conversations about our current entanglement with algorithms and the ever-growing presence of artificial intelligence in our daily lives.
Born in Tampa, Florida, Comellas lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee, as an artist and educator. In addition to her studio and teaching practice, she co-directs Unrequited Leisure, an artist-run curatorial project founded with her artistic collaborator, Clinton Sleeper.
Comellas holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Florida State University and a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in painting from the University of Tampa. She has taught as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art at Florida State University, a Visiting Artist-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University, and most recently as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Austin Peay State University. She has taught and developed lecture-based critical writing courses focused on contemporary art and the environment, along with studio arts classes that include 2D and 3D Design, Drawing & Painting, Creative Photography, Time-Based Media, and Digital Foundations.
Her artwork is in public and private collections including, Soho House Nashville, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University Library, Nashville, TN; Colorado College Special Collections Library, Colorado Springs, CO; and The City of Tampa Public Art Collection, Tampa, FL. Selected press includes Hyperallergic, BURNAWAY, Number Inc. Magazine, The Program, Art in America’s Art & Tech Newsletter, Chronogram, Ruckus Journal, Art Spiel, Nashville Scene, Art Valley, Locate Arts, MAPC Journal, Style Weekly, Chicago Reader, The Tennessean, Orlando Sentinel, and the Tampa Bay Times.
CV
EDUCATION
2012 MFA, Interdisciplinary Art, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
2001 BFA, Studio Arts, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Zeitgeist Gallery, Can I see like a planet? and other questions for chatbots, Nashville, TN
2023 Space 204, Shaman in the Loop, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
2021 Terminal Gallery, Moving in Spatial Limbo, Clarksville, TN
2017 621 Gallery, Chalet Comellas: Assembly Is Required: FOOD, Tallahassee, FL
2016 Wolpert Gallery, Working Memory, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026
*forthcoming, Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN
2025
Elephant Gallery, The Unbannable Library, Nashville, TN
LABspace, Holiday, Hillsdale, NY
2024
Repeaterroom, YOLA+, Belgrade, Serbia
Co-Prosperity, In Concert with Jen de los Reyes, Chicago, IL
The New Gallery, APSU Faculty Triennial, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN
Joyce Goldstein Gallery, HORIZON LINE, Chatham, NY
2023
Stove Works, Éramos Semillas / We Were Seeds, Chattanooga, TN
2022
Joseph Gross Gallery, Delivery Systems, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
KSU Gallery, Power of Print: Tracked Prints // Layered Sounds, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Elephant Gallery, The Leftovers, Nashville, TN
CëGallery, The Sacral Project, Nashville, TN
OZ Arts Nashville, Kindling Arts Festival + Defy Film Festival: Heroic Couplets, Nashville, TN
Ferman Center for the Arts, Subsequent Layers, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL
2021
Terrain Exhibitions, Terrain Biennial 2021, K.I.T., Oak Park, IL
Atrium Video Gallery, Dancing at Intersections, Bloomsburg, PA
Centro Cultural UCAB, Miami New Media Festival, Caracas, Venezuela
Cielito Tinto, Miami New Media Festival, San Cristóbal, Venezuela
Center for Fine the Arts, Miami New Media Festival, Ateneo, de Maracaibo, Venezuela
Philadelphia Media Arts Encounter, Nomadic Street Projections, Philadelphia, PA
2020
Doral Contemporary Art Museum, Miami New Media Festival, Miami, FL
Laundromat Art Gallery, Miami New Media Festival, Miami, FL
Museo Archaelogico di Olbia, Miami New Media Festival, Cerdeña, Italy
Cas di Cultura, Miami New Media Festival, Oranjestad, Aruba
airWG, Miami New Media Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The New Gallery, APSU Faculty Triennial, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN
LAB space, Space Case: Making a case for artist-run spaces, Hillsdale, NY
Goodyear Arts, Subcendent and so on, Charlotte, NC
2019
Albany Museum of Art, Educators as Artists, Albany, GA
Museum of Fine Arts, FSU Faculty Exhibition, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
2018
Haas Gallery, Comma Room, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA
Facility for Arts Research, Moving Bodies - Moving Images, Tallahassee, FL
Happy Motoring, Comma box Vol. 2, Fragments, Tallahassee, FL
Museum of Fine Arts, FSU Faculty Exhibition, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
2017
ArtFields, Movement in Place, Lake City, SC
1708 Gallery, InLight Richmond 2017, Juror, Nat Trotman, Richmond, VA
Acadiana Center for the Arts, P.S. Satellites: A Project of Prospect New Orleans: ART I-10, Lafayette, LA
Toronto Art Book Fair, The Common Table, Toronto, Canada
Murmur Media, Atlanta Zine Fest, Atlanta, GA
Shoebox Projects, HUDDLE, Los Angeles, CA
Tempus Projects, Little Triggers, Tampa, FL
The Press at Colorado College, Amply & Multiply, Colorado Springs, CO
Museum of Fine Arts, FSU Faculty Exhibition, Tallahassee, FL
2016
1708 Gallery, InLight Richmond 2016, Juror, Ellina Kevorkian, Richmond, VA
Eyedrum, EMBODY EMBED INVOKE, Atlanta, GA
The Studio@620, BRAVA, St. Petersburg, FL
Museum of Fine Arts, FSU Faculty Exhibition, Tallahassee, FL
2015
Nesbitt Gallery, Systematic Attempts in Lyrical Arrangements, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, OK
Museum of Fine Arts, FSU Faculty Exhibition, Tallahassee, FL
PORTSPACE, Assembly Is Required: WISH, Gulfport, FL
2014
Print St. Pete Studios, Assembly Is Required: ONWARD, Print St. Pete Studios, Gulfport, FL
1708 Gallery, InLight Richmond 2014, Juror, Denise Markonish, Richmond, VA
Flash Point Gallery, Variance / Invariance, with Judy Rushin and Christina Poindexter, Washington, D.C.
Museum of Fine Art, Making Now, Florida State University, Tallahassee FL
2013
Grace Exhibition Space, Continuous Action, a collaborative exhibition with Analog Analogue, Brooklyn, NY
621Gallery, Mudlark Report: Artist in Residence Exhibition, with Analog Analogue, Tallahassee, FL
2012
Grace Exhibition Space, INVASIONS OF THE SURREAL, CONTEMPORARY VISUAL PERFORMANCE, Fountain Art Fair, Miami, FL
621 Gallery, Knock on Wood, with Analog Analogue, Tallahassee, FL
Working Method Contemporary, FOCUS GROUP, with Analog Analogue, Tallahassee, FL
RESIDENCIES / AWARDS / GRANTS / HONORS
2024 Arts Letters and Numbers, NY
2022 Beneath the Surface Artist Residency Juror, New Brunswick, CA
2020 Visiting Artist-In-Residence, Vanderbilt University, TN
2018 Faculty in Residence, Facility for Arts Research at Florida State University, FL
2018 Juror's Award, Top Prize, Digital Media Category: ARTFIELDS, SC
2017 Tallahassee International, Museum of Fine Arts, Invited Juror, Florida State University, FL
2013 Artist in Residence, Nan Boynton Residency, 621 Gallery, FL
2013 Invited Speaker, TEDx FSU, Digital Direction, Florida State University, FL
TEACHING
Austin Peay State University, Visiting Assistant Professor, 2023 - 2024
Middle Tennessee State University, Adjunct Professor, 2020 - 2021
Vanderbilt University, Department of Art, Visiting Artist in Residence, Spring 2020
Department of Art, Florida State University, Assistant Professor, Specialized Teaching, 2015-2019
Department of Art, Florida State University, Adjunct Professor, 2012-2015
CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE
2025 Invited curator, The Wrong Biennial
2023-24 Jessye McDowell + Kelli Shay Hix, Future Folk: Superbia, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2023 Susan Jennings, DUET, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2023 Haru Sayso + Simon Tatum, The Seven Travelers, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2023 Disrupted Water Ways, Tahila Mintz, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2023 Needle in the Hay, Ellen Letcher + Julie Torres, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2022 Mediating, Vidya Giri + Maria Molteni, Co-curated with Clint Sleeper, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2022 Artifacting, Raheleh Filsoofi, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2022 Mary Addison Hackett, Anonymous was a Vlog, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2021 Clay Scofield: The play’s the thing, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2021-22 AIR_(space) Projects, flagpole gallery, Nashville, TN
2020 Adjusting the Lens FEST!, Experimental Video and Film Fest, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2020 JPEGS (Joint Photographic Experts Group Show), with Clint Sleeper, Unrequited Leisure Online, Nashville, TN
2020 Future Framed Works, Group exhibition featuring: Liat Berdugo, Gabriella Torres-Ferrer, Rebecca Forstater, and Bahareh Khoshooee, with Clint Sleeper, Unrequited Leisure Online, Nashville, TN
2020 <i>also<i/>tubes, featuring: Faith Holland, Amay Kataria, Everest Pipkin, Jeff Thompson, Lee Tussman, with Clint Sleeper, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2020 Anxious to Make, Collaborative exhibition featuring: Liat Berdugo and Emily Martinez, with Clint Sleeper, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2020 Do Over, Group exhibition featuring: Alla Clarke, Carrie Fonder, Steve Giasson, Myriam Jacob-Allard, Julie Lequin, Kelly Lloyd, and Nathaniel Wong, co-organized with Clint Sleeper, Didier Morelli, and Ariele Dionne-Krosnick, Good Sport Gallery, London, Ontario, CA
2019 What’s so Funny About the End of the World?, Middle Tennesssee State University, featuring: Patrick DeGuira, Craig Drennen, Lilian Garcia-Roig, Kristi Hargrove, Ron Lambert, Judy Rushin, and Clint Sleeper
2019 Terra Nullius, Christopher Kardambikis, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Hystrionics, Two-person exhibition featuring, Eleanor Aldrich and Guen Montgomery, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Adjusting the Lens: PLAY, experimental video screening, with Clint Sleeper, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Critical Distance, Solo exhibition featuring, Carolina Cleere,” Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Re: tracing, Solo Exhibition featuring, Kelly Hider, Unrequited Leisure, TN
2019 This is Madness: A Proof, Solo Exhibition featuring Carolyn Henne, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Frameworks, Collective exhibition featuring the works ILSSA union members, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Act IV Scene, III, Solo Exhibition featuring Craig Drennen, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Judy Rushin Wears Weelsee Wen, Solo Exhibition featuring Judy Rushin, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Do Over, Group exhibition featuring: Allana Clarke, Carrie Fonder, Steve Giasson, Myriam Jacob-Allard, Julie Lequin, Kelly Lloyd, and Nathaniel Wong, co-organized with Clint Sleeper, Didier Morelli, and Ariele Dionne-Krosnick, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 PRINT+SYSTEMS+SOUND, Group Exhibition featuring: John C. Kelley, Sam King, Abigail Lucien, and Elysia Mann, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 A Beautiful Mess, Group exhibition featuring: Karen Brooks, Chris Simpson, and Jim DeVault, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Adjusting the Lens: FSU, Experimental film screening; George Jenne, Julietta Cheung, Peter Whittenberger, Justin Lincoln, Monica Cook, Toby Kaufmann-Buhler, Alma Leiva, Kelly Sears, Jason Bernagozzi, with Clint Sleeper, Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL
2019 Adjusting the Lens: PERFORM, Experimental film screening; Julietta Cheung, Rah Eleh, George Jenne, Lydia Moyer, Stephen Nachtigall, and Jordan Vinyard, with Clint Sleeper Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2019 Disagreeable Giver, Solo exhibition, Marc Mitchell, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN
2018 By Virtue of Place, Group exhibition featuring: Nick Collier, Elizabeth DiDonna, Amy Fleming, Becki Rutta, Alejandro Simon, co-curated with Christina Poindexter, Marco Island Center for the Arts, Marco Island, FL