Marie Tuicillo

Born Marie Tuicillo, Kelly credited her mother and grandmother both "fine needle workers," as influences. During her high school years, she began night and summer art classes at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh and her teachers included Samuel Rosenburgh and Robert Lepper: Later she worked as a department store display artist.

As a married woman and mother of three sons, Kelly did painting and drawing during the day and worked on tapestries during the evening with her family at home.