Kelsey Halliday Johnson (she/they) has been working as SPACE’s Executive Director since 2017. For over fifteen years, Kelsey has worked as a presenter and curator with a consistent dedication for championing under-recognized artists and intersectional values.
Prior to SPACE, Kelsey worked in curatorial and advancement capacities for the James A. Michener Art Museum, Vox Populi Gallery, Locks Gallery, independent curator Marianne Bernstein, and her own independent multi-site curatorial projects; as well as gaining significant administrative experience at Blind Spot Magazine, the Penn Museum, and WPRB 103.3FM. Her curatorial work has been featured in Artforum, Art in America, and was a finalist for the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) Awards. Kelsey proudly started her career working art supply and photography retail for eight years.
She is a graduate of Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Wesleyan University, and has taught at a range of colleges and universities as well as Interlochen Arts Academy. Her writing has been published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, Locks Art Publications, Title Magazine, Performa, Studio Magazine from the Studio Museum in Harlem, Common Field, and Mural Arts Philadelphia, among others.
Kelsey enjoys tinkering with vintage cameras, ecological and architectural restoration projects, gardening, volunteering, and storytelling media of all kinds.
Please contact Kelsey about philanthropic giving, partnership ideas, artist grants, billing, and all other SPACE questions or concerns.
