Kelley Martin

Kelley Martin is a writer, arts leader, and community strategist whose work bridges traditional music, dance, writing, and cultural engagement. With more than two decades of experience across the Mid Atlantic and Appalachian regions, she has curated, promoted, and produced hundreds of events—from intimate youth workshops to large scale festivals featuring national artists such as Béla Fleck, Altan, Mary Black, and Dr. Ralph Stanley presented at institutions including the North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of History, and North Carolina State University.

Kelley’s artistic practice is rooted in cultural preservation and creative innovation. As a writer, she explores her upbringing in rural West Virginia and the ways that leaving—and returning to—remote landscapes shapes identity, memory, and belonging. Now based in the Adirondack–Tug Hill region, she is committed to building an arts ecosystem where collaboration, mutual support, and regional storytelling thrive. This vision led her to found the Tug Hill Artist Network, a collaborative hub for artists working across the North Country.Her passion for inclusive, intergenerational arts experiences has guided her work in education and community programming. As Education Director at the Arts Centre in Martinsburg, West Virginia, she developed puppetry, folklore, and dance programs for children ages 6–12. She has partnered with Johns Hopkins University, North Carolina State University, and the Maryland State Department of Education to design curriculum, lead professional development, and build digital platforms that support arts learning and early childhood development.

Kelley’s leadership in community outreach includes rebranding festivals, coordinating Main Street initiatives for the City of Westminster, Maryland, and developing youth poetry and writing programs for at risk teens in Durham, North Carolina. She has served as a board member, grant writer, and communications strategist for organizations such as Carolina Wren Press, Carolina Ballet, and the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities. A skilled web designer and editor, she has led cross functional teams to build accessible, content rich educational websites for the Maryland State Department of Education.

Across every role, Kelley champions the transformative power of the arts—celebrating heritage, amplifying diverse voices, and cultivating vibrant, connected communities through creative collaboration.

She holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore, an MA in English from North Carolina State University, and a BA in Liberal Arts/Journalism from St. Andrews University.

For more information, visit the Tug Hill Artist Network.