Springdale, AR — CACHE is pleased to announce the permanent promotion of Kelsey Howard to Executive Director.
Kelsey’s journey with CACHE has been marked by dedication, strategic thinking, and a deep commitment to the organization’s mission. In 2020, she joined CACHE as Program Director—the organization’s first full-time hire—before moving into the Director of Arts Services & Strategic Partnerships role; focusing on capacity building and advocating for investment in creatives and organizations, including:
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$1,225,000 to music nonprofits through the Music Organization Advancement Coalition (renamed NWA Coda)
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$750,000 to Northwest Arkansas arts nonprofits through the Bridge Fund
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$150,000 total to 10 nonprofits that participated in the ArtConnect program
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Designed, launched, and co-hosted 19 Social Hours, a convening program for arts administrators and creatives
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Supervised the application, evaluation design, panelist recruitment, training, and deliberation for the Creative Exchange Fund (CXF), a programming initiative designed to activate The Medium as a community-led arts venue
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Co-designed and managed “CommsCon,” a two-day in-person conference focused on communications capacity building for creatives and arts nonprofits; resulting in 116 attendees, 10 sessions, and 65 one-on-one consultations with communications Subject Matter Experts.
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Led the 2024 NWA Music Census
"It feels extra special to kick off 2025 with Kelsey at the helm of our organization," said Lisa Brence Kinniell, CACHE board chair. "Her work has already made a meaningful impact on Northwest Arkansas, and the experience and enthusiasm she brings to the Executive Director role will help CACHE continue to grow and adapt to best serve our regional creative community."
Kelsey has served as Managing Director of CACHE since May 2024. Since taking on the role, she has focused on moving the organization into its next phase, building upon a legacy of supporting Northwest Arkansas creatives and nonprofits.
CACHE was founded amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, operating with an all-hands-on-deck mindset to respond to the needs of Northwest Arkansas’ arts community through an ambitious and broad scope of work. In 2022, the organization became an independent 501c(3) and, since then, has narrowed its focus while continuing to listen to the needs of the community.
CACHE offers free capacity building and professional development programming, access to the space to create and exhibit through The Medium in downtown Springdale, and regularly participates in or makes available current research on the arts and culture industry in Northwest Arkansas and nationally. Under Kelsey’s leadership, the organization will focus on growing capacity—sharing resources, workshops, online tools, space rentals, access to research, and one-on-one technical assistance—and gathering—convening creatives and organizations to regularly build relationships, trust, and knowledge.
Kelsey has previously held roles at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, as an adjunct Art History professor at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, and prior to joining CACHE in 2020, was the Executive Director of Main Street Siloam Springs. She sits on the governor-appointed Arkansas Historic Preservation Review Committee to protect our state’s historic buildings.
Kelsey’s appointment coincides with a role change for Lisa Marie Evans who is now the Director of the Artists Creative Fund (ACF). Now in its second year, ACF provides funding, visibility, and professional development to artists and creatives living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Through this fund, 20 project-specific awards of $10,000 each are invested in a diverse group of artists to test ideas, explore collaborations, and build skills while generating a new creative project. The Artists Creative Fund is a George Kaiser Family Foundation program.
ACF exemplifies CACHE's commitment to regional collaboration by connecting and supporting creatives in Tulsa, OK, many of whom frequent Northwest Arkansas to explore additional collaborative and work opportunities with artists and arts organizations. The Director of Artists Creative Fund is responsible for serving in a strategic, operational, and leadership capacity within CACHE at large and is responsible for the program’s success and alignment with organizational goals.
“Since 2022, Lisa Marie has represented CACHE in Tulsa, using her innovation and extensive expertise in artist services and creative development to design and manage the Artist Creative Fund,” said Kelsey Howard. “We’re thrilled to have her dedicate time to build connections between creatives in Northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma.”
Lisa Marie has been a member of the CACHE team since 2020; joining the organization as the Editor and Project Manager for OzCast before moving into the role of Project Manager, Creative Development, and finally Director of Creative Development. Since joining CACHE, she has overseen the distribution of more than $1 million to 215+ Northwest Arkansas creatives.
Find more information about the ACF here.
The CACHE team includes:
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Kelsey Howard, Executive Director
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Brittany Yvonne Johnson, Director, Communications
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Lisa Marie Evans, Director, Artist Creative Fund
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Amber Perrodin, Artist and Community Manager, The Medium
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John Wayne Pharr, General Manager, The Medium
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Thalia Madewell, Operations Manager, The Medium
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Cynthia Tran, Event & Front of House Coordinator, The Medium
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Kevin Nguyen, Back of House & Technical Coordinator, The Medium
Part-time and contract assistance is provided by:
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Karen Castleman, Arts Services Coordinator (part-time)
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Graham Stewart, Creative Calendar Liaison
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Preston Poindexter, Music Ecosystem Consultant
Learn more about each member of the team here.