Staff
Kelly Hart, Executive Director
In September of 2008, Kelly Hart relocated from Idaho to Bellingham to become the Executive Director for Allied Arts of Whatcom County. She brings over 20 years of experience working in for-profit and non-profit arts organizations. Her wealth of knowledge and abilities are related to the incorporation of the arts into cultural tourism and in community development through programs such as promotion of the public arts. Kelly has served as a member at large for the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Bellingham Tourism Commission and Washington State Arts Alliance.
Email Kelly
Photo by Thor Ofteness
Brian Grote, Bookkeeper
Brian joined the team in Spring of 2022, he is a cheerful addition and keeping all of our finances in order.
Email Brian
Janis Conn – Arts Education Coordinator
Janis started out as a volunteer and was hired on when we realized what a great asset she was to the organization. She oversees the Arts Education Program which provides intensive arts lessons by our 16 teaching artists in the local schools and also art sessions through Dementia Support Northwest.
Email Janis
Deanna Lane – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant
We are thrilled to have Deanna on board as our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant. She has a wealth of experience working in the arts including the National Museum of the American Indian- Smithsonian Institution, Sculpture Northwest and Native Arts Collective.
Email Deanna
Liz Smyth – Program Assistant
Liz volunteered for over a year before she became Program Assistant. She works with the artists on the festival and events and assists with marketing. She is also currently attending WWU for her masters in Anthropology.
Email Liz
Xandra S. Blackburn – Gallery Assistant
Xandra Blackburn is our new (as of this year) gallery assistant and coordinator, though she’s volunteered in various capacities for a couple years now. She is a lifelong artist, art evangelist, and a human in love with the universe. She’s done a small variety of work, including tutoring college writing students, framing art, and slinging burritos, but working at Allied Arts is definitely the best entry in the list!
Email Xan
Board Members
Scott Ward – President
Scott has been a professional artist since 1999. His oil paintings and illustrations have appeared in venues across the country. Prior to moving to Bellingham in 2016, he served as Director of Community Life for Magnolia UCC, President of Magnolia Chamber of Commerce and founder of Magnolia Art Experience. Presently, he is the Executive Director of the Historic Fairhaven Association, sits on the COB Tourism Commission, directs the a cappella group One Accord, and co-owns Current and Furbish in Fairhaven with his partner Cameron. And somehow he still finds time to paint!
Rachel Simpson – Vice President
Rachel has been an Art Educator for 10 years, currently a business owner of Rachel’s Whimsical Arts, and a Professional Artist for 12 years. A local to Bellingham, WA, she’s lived here since she was a child, and has traveled across the PNW and abroad to Europe, which gives her a diverse experience in global cultures and art. While she was a student at Whatcom Community College (2007-2010) and at Western Washington University (2007-2013), she volunteered with Allied Arts, and worked with the Children’s Art Walk. She’s also been head chair of the Queer Straight Alliance at WCC while she was a student, helped create their drag show, and put on fundraisers. Many other volunteering experiences have been a part of her life, such as Bellingham Pride, the Bellingham Roller Betties, fundraisers, and community based art projects and art shows. Rachel is passionate about the arts, artists, art education, and the community.
Danielle Jordahl – Secretary
I believe the arts are the physical representation of the soul. I believe that practicing and/or experiencing artistic expression feeds the soul by inspiring innovation and understanding, it bonds people together through shared experience and a sense that someone else shares the same
understanding or feeling you have within yourself. To grow a healthy, innovative community we need to have an environment and activities that inspire and feed the soul. My strengths include passion, optimistic perseverance, and open heart and mind, and a driving desire to understand. I am not sure but I can call expertise, but as an RN I have skills and collaboration, program/system assessment and evaluation, and program/educational course design.
Casey Curtis – Treasurer
Sheri Clark
Dragon Wood Design – Designer. Sheri Clark has been a successful artisan at various craft shows for many years. Her background in Chainmaille comes from several private sources learned many years ago. She enjoys working with all types of metal using various techniques and mediums. She is one of the founding members and a past officer of the board of Directors at the Bellingham Metal Arts Guild. This lady has an unlimited amount of patience.
Kevin Coleman
My mission is to raise the awareness of the beauty around us, and help those in need through the beauty of art. Kevin began his art career in Tampa, Florida and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2001. He moved 4 years ago with his family from Seattle to the Bellingham, Washington area and considers Bellingham his permanent home. “I couldn’t imagine a better place to be and raise my kids.” Kevin started his art career at a very young age and won his first art contest at the age of 10. He is a self-taught painter and has an extensive background in original murals, sculpting, interior design, color theory, and space planning. Kevin became interested in the local environment over the past few years, and draws inspiration from his 2017 series “Ripple of Positivity”. His love of nature and water in combination with inspiration from Georgia O’Keefe and Salvador Dali, were huge influences to the photo realism he captures in his works. “I enjoy seeing the beauty in the everyday and mundane things everyone else takes for granted.”
Mary Grace Langholz
Welcome to our new board member! Mary has been a life-long active advocate for arts and culture who cares about serving her new community in these avenues. Mary started as an Educator in science, and then enjoyed a 40-year career in arts administration, most recently as Director of Communications for Seattle Symphony. Mary has lived in Bellingham for over five years and maintains a consulting business here. As a lover of the arts, she has sung in many choirs and played the piano since she was four years old.