Former Festival of Arts exhibitor Patrick Kelly remembered as ‘visionary and innovator’

Patrick Kelly, a longtime exhibitor and former board member of the Festival of Arts, died in his Palm Springs home on Jan. 21, the Festival announced Wednesday. He was 86.

Born in Paddington, London, England, Kelly studied fine art and industrial design at the Hammersmith School of Art, from which he graduated with a national diploma in industrial design.

Kelly moved to Canada and then to the United States, working in the field of industrial design. When he found his way to Laguna Beach, Kelly began a run of 42 years as an exhibitor in the Festival of Arts fine art show that started in 1961.

Sharbie Higuchi, the director of marketing and public relations for the Festival of Arts, counted Kelly as a close friend.

Patrick Kelly’s painting “Monolith,” which is in the Festival of Arts’ permanent collection.

(Courtesy of the Festival of Arts)

“Beyond his exceptional artistic talent, Patrick was a visionary and innovator, constantly thinking outside the box and pushing artistic boundaries,” Higuchi said. “During his tenure at the Festival, he achieved numerous firsts, serving as the inaugural curator of the Festival of Arts permanent art collection and the first membership director. He believed in the importance of preserving the collection and actively sought to enrich it with the works of Festival exhibitors, emphasizing that the artists themselves were integral to the Festival’s history.”

The Festival of Arts keeps two of Kelly’s works — “Series II” and “Monolith” — in its permanent collection. Kelly was an acrylic painter.

While Kelly served as membership director, the Festival of Arts saw membership grow to over 7,000 members, Higuchi said.

Kelly was also known for designing unique entrances to the Festival of Arts each year, creations that ranged from a train station to an industrial smokestack. Higuchi also remembered working with Kelly to put on the first gala for the Festival.

Patrick Kelly’s painting “Series II,” which is in the Festival of Arts’ permanent collection.

(Courtesy of the Festival of Arts)

“Patrick and I orchestrated the inaugural gala event in 1999 for the Festival and Pageant [of the Masters], reflecting his penchant for fun, elegance and a bit of extravagance,” Higuchi added. “From celebrity-lookalikes arriving in classic cars to dancers performing before the dramatic opening of the gates, that first gala mirrored Patrick’s dynamic and charismatic personality.”

A memorial gathering and estate sale will take place at Lost Your Mind Gallery at 1000 South Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs on Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kelly’s family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Artists Fund at the Festival of Arts, the announcement said.

The Artists Fund, which provided a grant for Kelly’s interment and burial, serves past and present festival exhibitors by promoting their work, through access to professional development opportunities, and by providing grants for career enrichment and those going through hardship. Those wishing to donate can do so at theartistsfund-foa.org/donate.