About

Born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, Kelsey Ford (she/her) is an experienced arts administrator and project manager. She holds a B.S. degree in Advertising & Public Relations as well as an M.A. degree in Arts Management and an M.S. degree in Library & Information Science.

Since moving to Pittsburgh eight years ago, Kelsey has been committed to serving the Pittsburgh community through her work at arts and culture nonprofits. She has worked for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, City of Asylum, and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. In these roles, she has contributed to many beloved Pittsburgh events and programs, including the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Children's Theater Festival and City of Asylum's Jazz Poetry Month festival. While at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, she also created Bookish in the 'Burgh, Pittsburgh's Teen Book Festival. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Handmade Arcade.

Kelsey has also volunteered for several local and national nonprofits over the past eight years. She served on the Steering Committee for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's Pittsburgh Emerging Arts Leaders Network, the Board of Directors for Handmade Arcade, and the Showcase Selection Committee for the International Performing Arts for Youth Showcase. She also served as the Young Adult Library Services Association's Liaison to the American Library Association. 

She has a special passion for mentorship and collaboration with young people. Kelsey has worked as a creative writing teaching artist since 2019 and is an alumna of the Arts Education Collaborative's Leadership Academy for arts educators and administrators. She has presented on the topic of serving and empowering teen leaders at several conferences, including the American Library Association Annual Conference, the International Performing Arts for Youth Showcase, and the teen-led Southwest PA Education Diversity Symposium. 

In her spare time, Kelsey is the crafter behind the Long May She Rage shop. She also writes novels and sings in the Renaissance City Choir.