Hanover Enrichment Series to present “An Evening with Kat Von D” Oct. 14
Kat Von D, the renowned television personality, artist, author, entrepreneur and musician, will be Hanover College’s featured guest for a mid-October presentation of the Hanover Enrichment Series.
“An Evening with Kat Von D” will feature a wide-ranging conversation covering topics ranging from art and entrepreneurship to music, motherhood and faith. The event will be held at 7 p.m., Oct. 14, in Fitzgibbon Recital Hall, Lynn Center for Fine Arts. Admission is free but registration is required for entry.
Von D started her rise to prominence through appearances on the popular The Learning Channel (TLC) television series “Miami Ink.” In 2007, her spinoff series, “LA Ink,” debuted as the highest-rated series premiere in the history of TLC among adults ages 18–34. The show, based on her studio High Voltage Tattoo in West Hollywood, Calif., featured 84 episodes through four seasons (2007-11). During the program’s first season, she set the Guinness World Record for most tattoos given by a single person in a 24-hour period (400).
Von D is the author of two New York Times best-selling books, including “High Voltage Tattoo: An Insider’s Guide to Tattoo Art and Culture” (2009) and “The Tattoo Chronicles: An Intimate Diary” (2010). “High Voltage Tattoo” traces Von D’s career as an artist and provides a deep dive into the tattoo process and culture. “The Tattoo Chronicles” shines an uncensored light on a crucial year in her personal and professional life.
She released “Go Big or Go Home: Taking Risks in Life, Love, and Tattooing” in 2013. The work examines personal strength, individuality, wisdom, creativity and more through her personal essays.
In 2008, Von D launched Kat Von D Beauty in partnership with Sephora. She was creatively involved with the provocative beauty brand for 12 years. In 2020, she stepped away from the company, which was acquired by Kendo and rebranded as KVD Vegan Beauty.
Separation from makeup brand provided essential time for Von D to focus on her lifelong passion … music. She honed her piano skills from the age of five under her grandmother’s supervision, practicing daily while channeling both fascination and inspiration from composers Mozart and Beethoven. She later continued her musical journey studying voice with Ken Tamplin and Grammy Award nominee Linda Perry.
Von D’s pursuit of music culminated in 2021 with the release of her debut full-length album, “Love Made Me Do It.” The album, using shapeshifting analog synths, post-punk dreamscapes, gothic hues and shy pop magnetism, set the tone for her sequential music releases and fulfilled a lifelong ambition. She followed the debut album later that year with an EP, “Exorcisms,” and a Spanish-language cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong.”
In 2024, Von D released her second album, “My Side of the Mountain.” The work includes 12 tracks, featuring the singles “Vampire Love,” “Dead” and “Por Ti.” The album was supported by videos for the singles and tour dates in the U.S., Europe and the United Kingdom.
In July, Von D opened VONDLAND in nearby Vevay, Ind. The store features apparel and home décor, including shoes and accessories, music, kitchen goods, children’s books and even a gothic gardening collection.
The Hanover Enrichment Series, which started in 1952, is made possible through the support of Tricia and Will Hagenah.
