Nalani Dowling was born in Atlanta (a Georgia Peach!) and raised on the magical island of Bermuda, which cultivated her creativity. An award-winning artist, Nalani studied at Spelman College and became a commissioned muralist for Morehouse College. She was also selected for Spelman’s first Curatorial Studies Cohort, a pioneering program shaping diverse voices for the museum field. As a research assistant and documentary producer at the High Museum of Art, Nalani partnered with Scholastic and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art for the 2020 exhibition, Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Picture Books.
Nalani is an inaugural graduate of the University of Georgia’s MFA program in Film, Television, and Digital Media, where she served as a pre-selection juror for the Peabody Awards. More recently, she has enjoyed supporting Atlanta’s leaders in the film and television industry, helping to develop projects for networks like STARZ and FOX. Nalani is a writer on the upcoming series 3 Blind Mice and the Writers’ Production Assistant on CBS’s Daytime Emmy-nominated series Beyond the Gates.
Through writing, filmmaking, and visual art, Nalani crafts compelling narratives that spark laughter, encourage empathy, and inspire hope. Her work has been recognized by The Trilith Institute and selected by Spelman’s Aunt Chloe Literary Journal, the Montclair African American Heritage Foundation Film Festival, and most recently, the Vancouver Black Independent Film Festival.
As the big sister to three siblings and a beloved neighborhood babysitter, Nalani is a storyteller for both the child and the child at heart.
Nalani is a 2026 Fred Rogers Productions Writers’ Neighborhood Fellow.
Contact Nalani:
nalani.dowling@gmail.com