Skip to main content

About Us

KAAHC Staff

The Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council staff is a hard working, creative team. Our offices are located at the Main Street Gallery at 330 Main Street, Ketchikan, AK. Known now as the Main Street Gallery, our building was built in 1946 as a Christian Science Church and remained so until 2008 when KAAHC purchased and renovated it. Its a great place to create, and to help other create, impactful experiences based on artistry, culture and community surrounded by art, music and dancing.


  • Executive Director
    My training includes a Bachelor of Music from the University of New Mexico, a Master of Music from the University of Southern California, and Doctoral Work at the University of Maryland, all in Oboe Performance. After playing professionally in orchestras across the country for many years I took up managing them. In 2007 I decided it was time for a grand adventure and I packed what would fit in a U-Haul and drove from Michigan through Canada directly to the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council. It has been my honor to become part of the Ketchikan community and to help facilitate the direction of this extraordinary organization. I believe the arts are an integral part of who we are as individuals, they help us understand the world, and they can teach us how to treat each other with compassion and respect. The arts in Ketchikan are powerful, nurturing and inspiring and help to make our island even more breathtaking.

  • Program Director
    “What horrible monster let the glitter escape from its imprisonment of the Twice Locked Cabinet?!”

    “It was her! That unassuming wallflower in blue jeans and a tee shirt, right over there!”

    “Nah it couldn’t have been her, she is so quiet and innocent looking.”

    “But look! She has glitter fluttering down from her hands and smeared across her eyebrow!”

    “Ah Ha! What do you have to say for yourself! Don’t you know glitter is highly discouraged in art galleries!”

    “Oh wait, isn’t that the new Program Director for KAAHC?”

    Wallflower girl frantically starts wiping glitter on her jeans and strolls over to the industrial strength vacuum cleaner, she switches it on and starts vacuuming her pants and hair. Her voluminous locks frizzeled, and her vacuum turned off, she reaches forward with a slightly sparkly hand and says, “Hi I’m Cassia O’Neil, its nice to meet you!”

    Hi Ketchikan! Its nice to meet you! Life is like a story waiting to be written. My story includes an Art Degree from the University of Alaska SE and a long history of sneaking art into every place I have ever worked. I’ve been in Ketchikan for about 3 years now dabbling in a variety of things from scrubbing fish guts off boots while singing sea chanties on the dock to helping kids create stop motion videos about Alaska in the public schools. I love painting, musical theater, and writing. I love talking about art and our stories that brought our art into being. I am here to hopefully help you tell your story. Whether it’s through visual arts, performing arts, dance or music. I am very excited to get started with a fantastic team to create some wonderful things for Ketchikan! Thank you so much for having me!

  • Interim Administrative Manager
    Local artist/boat captain/and Mom Kelsey McNeil joins the KAAHC team as interim administrative manager, trading off seasonally with Santiago. When not at the Arts and Humanities Council Captain Kelsey keeps people alive while driving boats for Lighthouse Excursion, sharing her local expertise and colloquial humor. Kelsey also creates Wearable Art using a variety of materials including lampshades, curtains, bedspreads, stonewashed jeans, and found objects. Her handcrafted jackets can be found at an Art Walk near you!

  • Interim Administrative Manager
    Santiago joined KAAHC in September of 2023. He brings with him his poetic spirit and a healthy dose of borderline humor! Santiago is an adventuring artist / seasonal worker who has worked with various organizations and enterprises from Juneau to Seattle since calling Southeast Alaska his home in 2010. Santiago has built his own boat, makes amazing hats, and is a top notch administrative manager!!!!

    More info coming soon!

  • Boomer - full time since March, 2022
    Boomer - full time since March, 2022

    Art Dog - Boomer is opinionated about the finer points of greeting art appreciators, but he is a whiz at giving artwork his respectful attention - and he is an award winning squeaker master!

© 2025 Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council

Powered by Firespring