The Regional Arts & Culture Council today announced that Rebecca Burrell, outreach specialist for The Right Brain Initiative, has been elected to the Emerging Leaders Council of Americans for the Arts. AFTA is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.
In addition to developing communications and coordinating community engagement programs for RACC’s arts education Initiative, Rebecca co-founded the Portland Emerging Arts Leaders group, and she is a member of the steering committee for Rebooting Democracy, a Gen Y-focused summit of ideas and innovation in democracy. Prior to RACC, Rebecca worked as the External Relations Specialist for the Museum of Contemporary Craft and Pacific Northwest College of Art. She has also spent six years living in New York, New Mexico, California, Pennsylvania and Ohio working for an installation art museum, a design firm, a public radio station, a dance company and a rural middle school. She earned a BA in Communications/Print Media from Antioch College.
“I am really proud to provide Pacific Northwest representation to the Council, tying the incredible work of the Portland Emerging Arts Leaders to our peers around the nation,” she said. “I’m excited to connect with others who are ready to advance the arts through broad thinking and relevant risk taking. Thank you to AFTA for providing a platform for this.”
AFTA’s Emerging Leaders program works to identify and cultivate the next generation of arts leaders in America. It provides an ideal way for new leaders to share their interests with others as they continue to develop their skills and their commitment to the arts. New professionals are valuable to the arts community, and the 15 members of the Emerging Leaders Council are dedicated to ensuring that a bright and democratic future for the arts in America continues for generations to come.
“The Emerging Leader Council serves an important role in helping Americans for the Arts carry out one of its primary goals of strengthening an informed leadership,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Rebecca has been an exceptional leader within her community, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the national council.”
Other RACC staff serving on AFTA’s national councils include public art manager Peggy Kendellen, who serves on the Public Art Network Council; director of community affairs Jeff Hawthorne, who serves on AFTA’s Private Sector Council; and Eloise Damrosch, who represents Portland at AFTA’s United States Urban Arts Federation.