Welcome Tracey Kikut, RAiR's New Executive Director

The Roswell Artist-in-Residence Foundation is thrilled to announce the arrival of our new executive director, Tracey Yates Kikut, who started in April.

Tracey, herself a creative, comes with ten years of experience at the Ucross Foundation, a multidisciplinary residency program in Wyoming that supports more than 100 residents a year. In several different roles there, culminating in a long stint as Program Director, she oversaw the process of selecting and accommodating residents in the fields of visual arts, literature, music, and dance; curated shows and arranged openings; developed fellowships for Native American visual artists and writers; worked with a range of institutional partners; oversaw everything from the annual budget to alumni relations; and for a time worked as Residency Manager. Her skill set is not only extensive and impressive: it’s directly applicable to RAiR.

Before Ucross, Tracey had a successful career in the fashion industry in Los Angeles, so she also brings a wealth of business and financial experience to her new role.


For the last year, Tracey has been working closely with the family of Donald B. Anderson, RAiR’s founder, consulting with them about the future of the Anderson house. She has therefore acquired extensive knowledge about Don Anderson, his vision, and many of RAiR’s traditions and underlying philosophy.

Tracey, who has three grown children, lives in Santa Fe with her husband Patrick, a painter. They have a small gallery, called No Man’s Land, where they present shows, viewable by appointment, of local artists, including some RAiR alumni. She will continue to live in Santa Fe while keeping a frequent presence in Roswell. In her first days at RAiR, she is working closely with our outgoing Executive Director, Katelyn Krakauskas, to ensure a smooth transition.

Tracey’s vision, professionalism, experience, and personal warmth have won over the RAiR staff and board; indeed, two RAiR alumni individually recommended her for the position, without her knowledge, well before she applied. We look forward to all of you getting to know her in the months and years ahead.