RCC's New Arts Education Director Focuses On Community

RESTON, VA — Coming from a huge family of teachers, Rebecca Campana grew up loving the arts and loves working with people in the arts.

"One summer, my grandpa used his tractor bucket to lift my aunt and uncle's old porch off their house and put it in the woods," she told Patch, recently. "That became a stage. That started me in the world of theater very young. ... I always knew that working with people and doing art was going to be part of my life, but I had no idea that such jobs existed."

On Jan. 14, Campana stepped into her new role as the Reston Community Center's arts education director, following the retirement of Cheri Danaher, who dedicated 35 years of service to RCC.

“I am honored to take on this role,” she said. “Reston Community Center’s work aligns with my belief that every person deserves access to meaningful arts experiences," she said.

“Rebecca’s experience growing and sustaining arts education programs will be a strong asset to the Reston community as RCC continues its mission of enriching lives through the arts," RCC Executive Director BeBe Nguyen.

Campana brings 20 years of experience in arts education, including working as the creative learning programs director at Arena Stage. In that role, she helped develop and expand youth focused multi-art and theater programs.

When asked what had appealed most to her most about the RCC job, Campana pointed out that "community" was right in the middle of the organization's name.

"I've had a great career thus far in arts education, and it's all been very community focused," she said. I am really interested in the ways that art can bring us together, that art can be a place to build community, that art can be a place of joy and discovery. So, I was really drawn to the commitment and mission and vision of community and the way that art can support that."

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In her short time as arts education director, Campana has been focused primarily on finding ways to enhance the many beloved programs that RCC already offers.

"A really important part of my work in the arts is helping people use art to tell their own stories," she said. "I've been really lucky because I've actually gotten to make plays with people about their own stories around the world and in D.C."

One of the highlights of Campana's career was going to Croatia to help communities of people with physical disabilities make a play to share their story.

"That's just an indication of my interest in where art and us knowing each other intersect," she said. "Art is a way of knowing ourselves, and it's also a way of knowing each other."