KATY DELAHANTY, Director of the Portland Museum: Katy has always been attracted to the fringe; the vigilante art, and making everything DIY. A child at heart, she balances out her fierce professionalism with her youthful, free approach to life. After being hired a the museum in 2021, she was immediately on board with bringing a daring whimsical idea to life for the youth in her all-but-forgotten Portland Neighborhood.
A Louisville native and granddaughter of KY Civil Rights Hall of Famers Dolores Delahanty and Robert Delahanty, Katy graduated from Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (NYC) and began her career as asocial justice advocate. She returned to our bend in the river five years ago buying her Portland dream fixer home at auction. Katy’s family emigrated to the neighborhood in the 1800’s from Ireland. Her local involvement snowballed from there, as she joined both the US Marine Hospital, and the Portland Museum board. She became active in the Portland Now community group, where she currently serves as Vice President. The Louisville Defender, the oldest African American owned newspaper in the region, as one of the female changemakers of 2022.
Delahanty has ten years of experience as a facilitator and certified mediator. Delahanty dedicated 15 years of her life to crisis work, courtroom experience, and case management for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health disabilities. She has a strong background in art, teaching, and community outreach.
Other things Katy is involved in: board member of the Phoenix Global Humanitarian Foundation, Board Chair of the Eastern Washington Defense, board member of Open Air Project (NYC), and a Governor-appointed board member of the KY Board of Licensure for Art Therapists. She is a practicing artist and illustrated a coloring book called Chromatic Homes. Katy is also a member of the Portland Anchor Newspaper Committee and has co-founded Black Scene Millennium and the publisher, a re-edition of Louisville’s Black Scene Magazine. She ran Louisville Visual Art’s Mural Art Program for three years. She is a Public Art Project Manager for Christina Lee Brown.
Delahanty is helping lead the capital campaign for Adventure House of You (AHOY), a progressive, exciting new venture to Portland Museum focused on creating an immersive, experiential play space in the outdoor and indoor space of an old Victorian home adjacent to the Portland Museum. All of her education and experience have led her to an interdisciplinary approach to art and community.