Francine Esther Kelly

Francine Esther Kelly passed away on Sunday, January 8, 2017 in Culver City, California.

-Francine lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, Iowa City, Iowa, Ankara Turkey, Basel, Switzerland and Lynbrook, Long Island before settling in Indianapolis, IN in 1972.

-Francine served as the Director of Programs at The Indianapolis Children's Museum from 1986 to 2000
-She became the Director of Community Initiatives in 2000 in a groundbreaking role of using the Children's Museum's influence to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood creating partnerships with Lilly Endowment, the Community Development Council, Neighborhood Resource Centers and Habitat for Humanity. She retired from the Museum in February of 2003.
-She was a Francine always encouraged artist and promoted the arts. She was an art collector, art consultant but most importantly and art supporter. She served as a docent at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, served on the boards of the Indianapolis Art Center, Young Audiences and Very Special Arts. She was a member of the Indianapolis Chapter of the Links, the Coalition of 100 Black Women and Jack and Jill, Inc.
-Martha Vineyard Museum honored her with Martha ‘s Vineyard Medal in 2011.
-Donations in her memory may be made to: Featherstone Center for the Arts;featherstoneart.org or by mail: P.O. Box 1145 Oak Bluff, MA 02557 or to Lucy Oxley, MD African American Medical Student Scholarship' at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Gifts may be online at uc.edu/give or by calling 1(888)556-8889(toll-free) or (513)556-6781.

-A Celebration of Francine's life will take place at Featherstone this summer.