Kelly M. Ward

is a Brazilian-American art historian specializing in modernism and early twentieth-century painting and sculpture, with an interest in the transatlantic exchange between Europe and the Americas. Kelly has a dedicated career in museums, galleries, academia, and arts non-profits. She currently serves as the marketing and communications coordinator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and teaches as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. In addition, Kelly is a contracted independent curator at
J. Peeler Howell Fine Art and a freelance exhibition interviewer for Art This Week Productions. As a skilled writer and researcher, Kelly has proven experience in visual analysis, lecturing and public speaking, marketing, graphic design, and social media management. A passionate community advocate, Kelly is a member of the Junior League of Fort Worth and the Women’s Policy Forum of Tarrant County. She is also a graduate of the Spring 2025 Leadership Fort Worth LeadingEdge Cohort.

 

Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to a Brazilian mother and American father, Kelly M. Ward now lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas. Having an immigrant mother and being a first-generation college graduate, Kelly has had ample opportunity to reflect on belonging and the ways that institutions can act as gatekeepers to the detriment of the organizations and the public. In her work, whether promoting exhibitions at the Modern or teaching undergraduates—many of whom lack previous experience studying art or visiting museums—she strives to make art accessible to all.