EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Anita joined the KAC in May 2023 and she brings over 30 years of experience in arts administration and arts education, having worked at Cazenovia College as the Director of the Arts Management Program and a Professor of Art. She was a co-founder and director of the Syracuse alternative gallery Altered Space from 1990-1996 and she served on the board of ArtRage Gallery for several years; currently she serves on the Syracuse Public Art Commission. She has worked in book arts, collage, printmaking, painting and installation, and she has exhibited her work nationally and internationally. In April, Welych received a 2023 Special Recognition Award in Arts Administration from Le Moyne College for her service to the field. As an artist and educator, Anita is thrilled to join the KAC in its mission of community engagement through the arts.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Born in Mumbai, India, and having spent his formative years in England, Keshav recently graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in economics. Bringing with him experience from working with developmental non-profits in India, he is eager to continue his dedication to community-oriented services. At the KAC, he will be assisting the executive director in designing and implementing systems to streamline daily operations. In his leisure time, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and delving into literature on financial markets, reflecting his keen interest in financial analysis and strategic planning.

PROGRAM MANAGER

Madden is a local to the area, returning after her time spent in Albany at Russell Sage College where she received her degree in Health Science and Psychology. She is recently married to her husband James Lamont. They spend their free time hiking, camping, and attempting to grow vegetables and flowers at their house in the country. Madden hopes to use her experience from working with other local communities to build on to the always-growing artistic community that is the Kirkland Art Center.

PRESIDENT

After many years with Cargill, Inc, where he held senior management roles, Jon enjoyed a second career in development and advancement – over a dozen years at Hamilton College and then at SUNY Geneseo. In retirement, Jon enjoys gardening, golfing, and spending time with his grandchildren. Jon has always enjoyed KAC concerts and events. In addition to his service on the Board, Jon is also a member of the Raise the Roof Capital Campaign committee.

VICE-PRESIDENT

Carol and her husband, Steve Orvis, moved to Clinton in 1988. They were delighted to find a great community center in the KAC, and their family enjoyed many musical performances, art classes, and workshops over the years. After 20 years on the faculty at Hamilton College, followed by ten years as a college administrator in off-campus and international programs at Hamilton and later Colgate University, Carol retired. Having served on the board and as co-president in the early 2010s, she was happy to have more to volunteer in the community, especially at the KAC, where she was most recently on the Raise the Roof Capital Campaign committee. She looks forward to working with the great staff and board of the KAC to keep and enhance its role as a center for the arts and artists of all ages into the future. She enjoys listening to and playing music, cooking and especially baking, and traveling.

TREASURER

John is a sucker for art and all that it achieves. He immerses himself in it through his job as the Operations Manager for Hamilton College's Art Department, and enjoys the challenge of creating sculpture himself. Spending a majority of his childhood overseas, with his parent's work in community development, instilled in John a strong sense of obligation to support and care for the community around him, so the KAC was a natural fit. He has served as a board member since 2018. 

SECRETARY

Kino Ruth and spouse Chris Willemsen came to Clinton in 1999 and have been involved with education, sports and the KAC ever since.  Kino worked for over 25 years in college administration (primarily career services) including 13 years at Hamilton College.  He recently retired from M. Griffith Investments/RW Baird in New Hartford, where he assisted clients with financial and retirement services.  Kino enjoys events management, music, travel and cooking all kinds of interesting foods.

Steve Lockwood is an attorney who has served as legal counsel and board member of many not-for-profit organizations in the area. He is a past president and current board member of The Center (formerly the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees) and is a founding member and chairperson of For The Good, a not-for-profit community development agency. Steve is the managing partner of Stephen L. Lockwood, P.C. in Utica. He appreciates the arts, particularly music and poetry, and is happy to join the team of board directors for the art center.

Sharry is the producer of Mohawk Valley Living. After years working in advertising and marketing, her love of exploring the local area led to the creation, with her husband, Lance, of the TV show in 2005 and magazine in 2013. During the pandemic, she realized that she had always taken her local art center for granted and decided to lend her help. She knows the KAC well, having served on the Board since 2021 and as a member of the Raise The Roof capital campaign committee; in February 2023, Sharry stepped off the board temporarily to serve as Interim Executive Director. She enjoys gardening, painting, biking, hiking, and travel near and far.

Louise moved to Clinton in 2018.  She previously lived in Westchester County,  NY, where she worked for IBM and engaged in volunteer work for several cultural and political organizations.  Louise loves living in Clinton and exploring the village with her dogs.  She is an enthusiastic member of the  Kirkland Art Center board and leads the Membership Committee.

Retired from the faculty of Hamilton College and enthralled with the beauty of nature, Ernest enjoys painting landscapes and photographing the elements of biodiversity, especially birds, butterflies, and wildflowers. He is happy to join the board of the Kirkland Art Center, which contributes so much to our community; he also serves on the board of the Monarch Butterfly Fund and volunteers with Kirkland Trails.

Damhnait served on the board from 2009 to 2015, and again since 2018.  She brings her passion for community arts to her work with the Kirkland Art Center, along with skills from a career in academics, including grant-writing and helping to keep committee meetings on task. In her spare time, she likes drawing, painting, and traveling with her family.

Nancy has lived in Clinton with her family for many years and she works as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with Clinton Therapy and Testing Center. She has long been involved with the KAC as a loyal member and volunteer at many events, particularly KAC concerts and music workshops. She always brings positive vibes when she works with everyone to get things done and we are delighted have her on to the Board.

Kelsey holds an MFA from Sunderland University in the UK and she is a practicing artist who has also long been involved in community arts organizations, as an administrator and instructor, here in the US and in the UK. She works as an Exhibition Manager at View in Old Forge and has been a Long-Term Resident with Sculpture Space in Utica. We are delighted that she is the chair of the KAC Exhibition Committee.

Image from https://www.viewarts.org/about/meet-the-team/