Hilary Seeley (she/her) has lived in Brooklyn for nearly a decade by way of Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Paris, and Santa Fe, NM. She received her BA from UC Berkeley in Interdisciplinary Studies--a self-designed major examining expressive culture in the 19th and 20th centuries through the study of art, design, film, literature, linguistics, history, sociology, and anthropology. Specifically, she analyzed the ways in which people express their experiences through art and what those pieces tell us about socio-political forces and the human condition. Hilary applied this knowledge and perspective as a high school teacher of English, French, and History, and eventually in her career in costuming for film and television. Specializing in period productions, she uses clothing, accessories, and props to tell a character’s personal state, experience, and arc in addition to their temporal and geographic settings; racial, ethnic, and cultural background; socioeconomic status; and values and challenges. She uses these devices to place characters’ stories and behaviors in a larger framework of social and historical dynamics, with the primary objective of communicating the stories and symbolic significance of these nonverbal cues.

Hilary has shared this priority of telling stories and what they mean in an oral history project she spearheaded 17 years ago, wherein she interviews elders to capture primary source perspectives and details about the eras through which they lived. Using material culture to unlock the gateway to detailed memories and establish comfortable spaces, her goal is to assemble a comprehensive mosaic representative of diverse voices and to convey a sense of value to folks who have been historically quieted or sequestered. Hilary is looking forward to expanding and deepening this project and connecting with more communities through her work in OHMA.

In her free time, Hilary enjoys various art forms, including dancing (swing, ballet, dancehall) and making jewelry, clothing, pysanky, paintings, and embroidery; spending time in nature; and going to comedy shows.