Originally from Germany’s rural North Sea coast, not far from Bremen and its famous town musicians, Kim A. Tolman began her creative life in a hands-on trade, training as a furniture maker before going on to study art and design.
In her twenties, she relocated to Cologne, Germany’s vibrant media city, where her first major exhibitions and press attention helped launch her career. She soon began designing sets and costumes for theatre and opera, and what began as a passion for design and performance quickly grew into a full-time creative practice.
In the late 1990s, Kim met her husband and joined him in San Francisco in 2001. There, she designed and contributed to hundreds of theatre productions throughout the Bay Area and across the United States, earning several awards for her work.
A move to Los Angeles in 2010 opened the door to the world of themed entertainment, where she worked with some of the industry’s leading names, including Walt Disney Imagineering, NBC Universal, and Universal Studios Japan. While working with Universal Studios Japan, Kim also lived in Japan, an experience that further expanded her international creative perspective. Her television work has included projects for McDonald’s, DreamWorks, Pepsi Cola, and L’Oréal.
Alongside her design career, Kim has been a fine artist since her teens, exhibiting in both Europe and the United States. Her large-format abstract paintings are expressive, tactile, and deeply rooted in texture and color. More recently, her work has evolved into a moody, imaginative, and slightly surreal visual language. 
kimatolmanfineart.com
Kim was also the owner and creator of MADKAT Gallery, a contemporary art venue in Greater Palm Springs, which has since closed as part of her move back to Europe.
She now divides her time between Florida, Malta, and Germany, continuing to develop her work across fine art, design, and international creative projects.
SELECTED PRODUCTION DESIGN   
Black & Positively Golden™ - Series - Dir. Rashid Mausi - McDonald's
Love Is Listening  - Documentary - Dir. Michael Verde - Memory Bridge
Chat.Like.Love  - TV Series - Dir. Eli Sokhn - DreamWorks Awesomeness TV
Reverse Aging Centre - Commercial - Dir. Joshua Lehnerd - Oceana Branding
Collectors Cafe - TV Show  w/ Larry King - BiteSizeTV Hollywood
Metal Meltdown (Malibu Location) - Rockumentary - Rock Fuel Media
King Eternal - Film - Dir. Christiano Dias - Manowar Media
Pepsi (APD) - TV Commercial - Dir. Jake Nava 
L'Oréal Feria (APD) - TV Commercial - Dir. Jake Nava 
Hot Set - Reality Show - Dir. M. McNamara - SyFy Channel
The Weepies Pop Duo - US Acoustic Tour 
Ultimate Proposal - Web Series - Dir. James Tooley - FishBowl/Yahoo!
L'Oreal Infallible (APD) - TV Commercial  - Dir. Jake Nava 


    SELECTED THEMED ENTERTAINMENT DESIGN

Super Nintendo World - Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan
Fort Edmonton Park, Canada - John King Creative, NYC
Call of Duty XP & Championships - Entertainment Design Corporation, CA
Pandora - The World of Avatar - Walt Disney Imagineering, Glendale, CA
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Universal Studios Hollywood, CA
Museum Of The Bible, Washington D.C. - BRC Imagination Arts, Burbank, CA
Motiongate, Dubai - Rethink Attractions, Los Angeles, CA
IMG - Worlds of Adventure, Dubai - Rethink Attractions, Los Angeles, CA
Knotts Berry Farm - Rethink Attractions, Los Angeles, CA
Magic Planet, Dubai - BRC Imagination Arts, Burbank, CA


SELECTED SCENIC DESIGN   
DIVA - United Stages - Leah Patterson, Los Angeles, CA
Grey Gardens (ASD) - Dir. Michael Wilson - Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
This Is How It Goes - Dir. Tom Ross - Aurora Theatre, Berkeley, CA
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Dir. Michael Butler - CenterREP, Walnut Creek, CA
Dracula - Dir. Michael Butler - CenterREP, Walnut Creek, CA
Cabaret - Dir. Bill English - San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco, CA
Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - Dir. Joy Carlin - SF Playhouse, San Francisco, CA
Buddy! - Buddy Holly Story (ASD) - Dir. Steven Moorer - Post Street Theatre, San Francisco, CA
A Moon For The Misbegotten - Dir. Josy Miller - Hapgood Theatre Company, CA
Richard III - Dir. Jon Tracy - Project Artaud Theater, San Francisco, CA
All My Sons - Dir. Susan E. Evans - Douglas Morrisson Theatre, Hayward, CA
Frozen - Dir. Susan E. Evans - Eastender's Repertory Company, Oakland, CA
Viaticum (World Premiere) - Dir. Helen Pau - Live Oak Theatre, Berkeley, CA
The People's Temple - Dir. Jennifer King - Napa Valley Theatre, CA
Firebugs - Dir. Rebecca Engle - LeFevre Theatre, Moraga, CA
The Epic Of Gilgamesh - Dir. George Charbak - Ashby Stage, Berkeley, CA
Show N Tell (World Premiere) - Dir. Stepp Stewart - Duke Ellington Theatre, Washington, DC
    

SELECTED OPERA DESIGN   

La Boheme - Dir. Michael Shell - Opera San Jose
La Boheme - Dir. Timothy Near - Opera San Jose
La Boheme - Dir. David Cox - Opera San Jose
Die Zauberflote - Dir. Wolf Borchers - Opera Mobile, Cologne, Germany
Orpheus And Eurydike - Dir. Wolf Borchers - Opera Mobile, Cologne, Germany
La Boheme - Dir. Heather Carolo - San Francisco Lyric Opera
Tales Of Hoffman - Dir. Heather Carolo - San Francisco Lyric Opera
    
SELECTED COMMERCIAL ART DIRECTION   
Kraftwerk - Themed Architecture - Arson , Wil, Switzerland
Uzehalle / Eishalle - Arson, Wil, Switzerland
Cobb's Comedy Club - San Francisco CA
Esther's German Bakery - San Francisco Bay Area
MAD.KAT Gallery - Palm Springs, CA

HONORS & AWARDS

Experience Design & Technology Award Best Museum Design Environment, 2018 for
MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE, (as Art Director at BRC Imagination Arts)
Bay Area Critics Award Nomination for Best Scenic Design (Play), 2010 – DRACULA
Shellie Award for Best Scenic Design (Play), 2010 – DRACULA
Arty Award Nomination for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2010 - THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
Ellie Award for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2009 - THE MUSIC MAN
Arty Award for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2009 - THE MUSIC MAN
Arty Award Nomination for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2009 - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Arty Award Nomination for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2008 - SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL
Arty Awards, Arty Award for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2008 - THE WIZARD OF OZ
Shellie Award Nomination for Best Scenic Design (Musical), 2003 - THE MYSTERY OF 
EDWIN DROOD
    
PUBLICATIONS
Google SketchUp Workshop: Modeling, Visualizing, and Illustrating. 
Focal Press USA, December 2010. Case Study
Créez avec SketchUp: 16 projets, de l'architecture au théâtre. 
Pearson Publishing France, November 2009. Case Study

MEMBERSHIPS
United Scenic Artists, Local 829, I.A.T.S.E
Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)

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