About
Elly is a Chicago based scenographer, originally from Indianapolis, IN. She is a recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s Theatre Design and Technology department. Elly is the recipient of the 2024 John Murbach Prize presented by the Michael Merritt Committee.
Artist statement
As an artist working in the mediums of costume and scenic design, the goal of Elly’s work is to react, reflect, and reconstruct our world. Visual elements define the world on stage, they tell us where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going.
Understanding how history informs the present is what allows you to subvert it. This is why she considers research the most important step in her process. To understand the greater context of a theatrical piece, is to understand how design can draw from this context to say something about the world.
Elly’s position as a feminist is tied to these ideals, not only in the desire to understand and deconstruct the multiple intersections of adversity and oppression throughout history, but also in taking inspiration from history — employing feminine motifs and methods of creating in her work.