Grace Smith has devoted countless hours to strengthening Ottawa’s music community through volunteerism and leadership. She became involved with the Ottawa Grassroots Festival 14 years ago after being recruited by Bob Nesbitt, subsequently leading publicity and communications for seven years, joining the Board in 2018, and serving as President. More recently, she has focused on developing the festival’s online silent auction.
Grace’s contributions extend across Ottawa’s folk and festival communities. She has volunteered extensively with the Ottawa Folk Festival and CityFolk, serving as Chair of the CityFolk Board of Directors from 2019 to 2020 and as a founding member of the Bluesfest Inclusion and Diversity Committee.
Known as Graziella within her Italian family, Grace was born with Arthrogryposis. Alongside her professional career in engineering at Canada Post, she pursues her love of live music, community involvement, cooking, gardening, and playing the djembe. Her generosity and longstanding commitment have made her an important contributor to Ottawa’s music community.