Betty Anne Keller

Born and raised in Waterloo, Betty Anne Keller has been an advocate for the arts for more than five decades, and knows well the pivotal role played by municipal governments in fostering and sustaining cultural development. In her early years, Betty Anne was self-employed as a live-music promoter, and was instrumental in bringing performers like Joni Mitchell, the Everly Brothers, Supertramp and others to the Region. She also worked as a tour manager for entertainers such as Rita MacNeil, The Rankins, and Loreena McKennitt.

In 1984, Betty Anne was instrumental in founding the summer School for the Performing Arts at Centre in the Square in Kitchener. The three-week program engaged 150 young people in dancing, singing and acting classes, and culminated in a show at the end of the session.

In 1999, Betty Anne assumed the position of Organizational Leader, Arts and Culture, and eventually Manager of Arts Cultural Festivals and Events for the City of Waterloo. In this role, she doubled the number of public artworks in the city, took a leadership role in the city’s Cultural Plan, initiated the Municipal Cultural Planning Partnership with the Province of Ontario, and produced an annual event, “An Evening of Sacred Music” – a world peace project.

Betty Anne served on the Creative City Network of Canada, and was board president from 2008 to 2011. In 2016, she served as a board member of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, and chaired the board in 2018 and 2019. Betty Anne is a past member of the Region of Waterloo Public Art Advisory Committee.

In 2022, Betty Anne produced the documentary Rock This Town KW, a chronicle of the rock groups and performers that she was instrumental in bringing to the Region in the early 1970s. In 2020, she was recognized by the Zonta Club with its Woman of Achievement – Arts and Culture – Award, and in 2022, she was the KW Oktoberfest Rogers Woman of the Year in the arts and culture category.

Throughout her employment and volunteer career, Betty Anne Keller has worked in the service of the arts community – bridging traditions, fostering innovation, and building relationships. In one of the letters of support for her nomination, the writer said that Betty Anne’s drive to put community first in her projects was a testament to ensuring that Waterloo Region continued to have a thriving arts scene. Recognizing Betty Anne Keller’s contributions to the arts helps to document one of the important narratives of our community – the challenge of promoting and sustaining the arts to ensure that Waterloo Region is an enriching and culturally diverse place to work and live. Photo credit: Sara Geidlinger