Kelly makes her home in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada. Living on an island in the North Atlantic Ocean rich with natural spaces for inspiration and artistic challenge. St. John’s is home to the highest concentration of artists in any Canadian country postal code – A1C. Living in this cultural community has resulted in an interdisciplinary practice that ranges from Costume Design and Breakdown, Set Design for Film and Television, performance art, teaching to exhibiting her textile Art internationally.
She studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia her birthplace where she graduated with degrees in Fine Art (textiles and sculpture) and Art Education (1991). Travel has enriched her artistic practice over the past 25 years. She has trekked into mountain ranges Rockies (Canada), Simien (Ethiopia), Himalayas, (India and Nepal), has reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, (Kenya) traveled by water into the Okavango Delta (Botswana), Lake Malawi (Malawi) and Lake Tana (Ethiopia). These incredible encounters with the nature also include intense cultural exchanges with people. Seeking out traditional makers in their local communities continuing ancient and modern textile practices. These intense experiences continue to broaden her cultural and artistic palettes.
Kelly’s contribution as an Artist for social change in her local community and abroad is a meaningful contribution. A decade of service on the Board of Directors for Oxfam Canada resulted in her appointment as Board Chair and as a Board Trustee for Oxfam International. This voluntary work in International Development is inspired by her own experience living and working in Botswana in southern Africa.