Arts Alumni Spotlight: Hannah Kelly and Franki Graham

Two accomplished UMBC arts alumni, Hannah Kelly ’17, theatre and Franki Graham ’13, dance, will tell us about the trajectories of their respective careers since graduating from UMBC. Hannah Kelly will tell us about the path of her acting career after graduating from UMBC with a B.F.A. and creating a work/life balance: having a fulfilling acting career and starting a family, spending time with loved ones, and traveling. Finding the balance in life is something that is important to her, especially in a career that is known to take a huge toll physically, mentally, and financially. Kelly’s philosophy: life enriches art, life informs your art. Kelly had her first professional role in 2018 at Everyman Theatre and became a Resident Company Member at Everyman Theatre in 2019. Kelly has been in many professional productions in and around Baltimore throughout her career, most recently: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , And Then There Were None , and A Midsummer Night’s Dream . You can see her perform next in The Mirror Crack’d at Everyman from November 29 to December 30. When not acting, Kelly cares for her 5 month old daughter, Eleanor, owns a floral company, Charmed Florals, and works as an installation manager for a sign company. Franki Graham will explore how her roles as an artist, educator, administrator, and arts leader have mutually reinforced each other and created unique career opportunities. Her connections within the dance community have opened unexpected doors, and her curiosity and willingness to explore different avenues in the field continues to serve her. Grahams’s career has been non-linear, each role giving a new opportunity to provide meaning and make an impact. Graham is a dance artist, educator, program administrator and director in Baltimore, Maryland. Currently serving as the Dance Department Chair and Director for the Peabody Institute Preparatory Program since 2022, Graham has spent her career using dance as the medium to transform lives and build community. After earning a B.A. in Dance as a Linehan Artist Scholar, she earned an M.A. in Dance Performance at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, England as a Leverhulme Scholar, which launched a professional performing career. Graham founded and directed a dance company with artist Jeanna Riscigno from 2017–20, called LucidBeings Dance, that performed across the DMV and was a catalyst for creative work. As an educator, Graham has held roles in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools System, within non-profit organizations, as an adjunct professor at UMBC, a master teacher and consultant for the Maryland Centers for Creative Classrooms program and served as a Board Member for the Maryland Dance Education Association. Graham is a certified Functional Awareness movement educator. This event is presented by the Center for Innovation, Research, and Creativity in the Arts (CIRCA). Admission is free. The event will begin at noon, but registrants can arrive at 11:45 a.m. for a free lunch with dietary options. If you plan to arrive early for the lunch, please r.s.v.p. by October 22 . This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy.