ABOUT US

Rebecca Newton brings a wealth of experience as a performer, producer, and arts administrator to her role as Interim Executive Director. With a career spanning over four decades in the music industry, Rebecca’s journey is as diverse as it is impressive.

Rebecca’s musical roots trace back to her childhood in Washington state, where she was captivated by show tunes and vaudeville acts. Her professional music career began in 1975 with the bluegrass country band “Mother Country” in North Carolina. She later founded “Rebecca & the Hi-Tones,” a swing/early jazz/R&B band that became a North Carolina institution for over 30 years.

As a composer, Rebecca has written music for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and various theatrical productions. She has also performed as half of the country music duo ‘Pinky Wyoming and Duke LaCrosse’ since 1987.

Rebecca’s experience extends beyond performance. She served as CEO of the Carolina Theatre in Durham for several years, demonstrating her leadership skills in arts administration.

Rebecca’s passion for fostering creativity and cultural experiences aligns perfectly with her new role. To learn more about Rebecca’s extensive career and ongoing projects, please visit her website: https://rebeccanewton.com/about/.

Rachel Manconi (she/her), is a multidisciplinary artist currently residing in Durham, NC whose lifelong love of art has led to two Bachelor of Arts degrees from UNCG (Dance Studies and Studio Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design) as well as over ten years of experience in the non-profit arts sector. One of her favorite pastimes is exploring different forms and materials of art, leading to a variety of works in her portfolio and fun life experiences, such as her photography being featured on the cover of “Nude” by Nuala Ní Chonchúir and her fiber arts being a yarn bomb installation at The Scrap Exchange’s thrift store. When she’s not creating or curating, Rachel enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Josh, and spoiling their senior black cat, Satriani.

Rachel Nunn (she/her) is an arts administrator, visual artist, and “theatre kid” from Wake Forest. She holds an MFA in Arts Leadership from Virginia Tech and has worked with a variety of arts organizations across the country, including Alternate ROOTS, The Taubman Museum of Art, Theatre Raleigh, College Light Opera Company, Honest Pint Theatre Company, and more. She sits on the board of Triangle Artworks and volunteers with Seed Art Share to run their creative childcare program.

Elizabeth Ekstrand (she/her) is passionate about the impact of art on civic engagement and inclusion. In an age of increased isolation, she believes that the arts are uniquely positioned to bring diverse perspectives together, fostering stronger and more empathetic communities. 

Elizabeth has been involved with The ArtsCenter for much of her life, eventually serving as a volunteer and staff member for ArtsCamp. In her role as Youth Programs Coordinator, she is excited to support local youth year-round, and to mentor counselors for AfterSchool and ArtsCamp. Her goal is to foster an environment where youth are empowered to be themselves by exploring a wide variety of creative outlets.

Outside of her professional life, Elizabeth finds fulfillment in dance, creative writing, music, and theatre (specifically stage management)! She holds a BA in Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Throughout her career, she intends to focus on building community, with an eye toward the physical spaces that bring people together.

Tyler Dennis (he/they) is a passionate advocate for creativity and continuous learning. He enjoys learning about diverse tools, skills, and hobbies to empower others in a safe and effective manner, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone can learn, create, and thrive. He is honored to have the opportunity to pursue his dream of creating a community makerspace here at the Arts Center, and is looking forward to making things with you!

Taryn Revoir cares about building community through experiential education and art making. Creating pottery is not a solitary act. The power of clay comes from the necessity to rely on and work with community. The science, labor, learning curves and creativity necessary to build a studio takes so much collaboration. Taryn is inspired by potters, especially community studio potters, who work together to make sure everyone can produce the best ceramics they can. At UNC- Chapel Hill, Taryn studied Human Development, Critical Theory in Literature and Studio Art.  Taryn believes in using an interdisciplinary and environmentalist approach for all things in life, especially art-making. 

Kiara Franklin (she/her) an Atlanta, “Grady baby” native, raised by a local motivational speaker, poet, and author led to a deep-seated passion for community and storytelling.

Graduating from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Communications and a minor in Art and Theater, Kiara embarked on a journey in California’s production and animation industry. Here, she championed Inclusion and Diversity efforts, refining her communication and organizational skills.

However, Kiara’s heart remained rooted in community engagement, leading her to her current role as Youth Coordinator at the ArtsCenter. Here, she merges her love for storytelling with her dedication to empowering young minds, creating spaces for creativity and belonging. Beyond her professional endeavors, Kiara finds joy in dance, escape rooms, and murder mystery games.

Kiara’s journey shows her influence to community building and creative expression, guided by a profound belief in the transformative power of storytelling.

Harold Hill has been involved in building maintenance for 30 years. His approach is driven by a personal connection to a building’s life force. Each mechanical system operates with a personality much like people. Seasonal changes require different care and attention. Enjoying the smallest detail about system maintenance makes for an aesthetically pleasing experience for visitors. Most of the work will go unnoticed and that’s the purpose of quality Building Maintenance. He is a graduate from the NC Apprenticeship in Building Operations hosted by UNC-CH, As well as a diploma in Industrial Building Operations from ACC.

Micky Hickey (they/them) is a teaching artist and facilitator who values increasing access to arts as a mechanism for creative expression. An artist themselves, Micky is passionate about the intersections of community building, education, arts expression, and advocacy. With an MBA in Sustainable Leadership and a BA in Regenerative Ecological Development, they often solve problems from a holistic systems point of view. In addition to working at the ArtsCenter, Micky is an active teaching artist, community organizer, and song leader in the Triangle Area. 

Daniel O’Shaughnessy (he/him) is a c/o 2023 graduate from the University of North Carolina’s philosophy program, a strong advocate for and frequent patron of virtual and physical community art spaces, an experienced DJ (ask about his radio shows on WXYC and WCOM) and event planner, a cinema and music enthusiast, an avid reader, a basketball nerd, and a passionate friend. He has been with the ArtsCenter since 2021; working in the box office, concessions, and afterschool programs. He hopes to bring a fresh and dedicated energy to performances and rentals in 2025 and beyond. 

Educator, Art Advocate; Kaitlynn received a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, back in 2019. Since then, she has worked in strong learning environments assisting children to develop their academic and social-emotional skills to improve their everyday coping. Kaitlynn was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and recently moved to North Carolina to find leadership opportunities incorporating her love for art and teaching. 

Kaitlynn assists with the everyday flow of AfterSchool and ArtsCamp, while developing training for counselors and volunteers to effectively execute the safety, engagement and cleanliness of Youth Programming. Kaitlynn also works to uplift and exhibit Youth’s accomplishments by sharing memorable moments of creation on the Youth Instagram. 

She dreams of running her own organization one day, allowing herself to lead and inspire others to dream beyond measure while offering the supportive and necessary tools to succeed within their passions. Specifically, she intends on having an Art Space where communities can connect past geological distance and support their love for art with kindness, creativity and hope. She also hopes to be a professional artist working to home in on her talents, such as, painting, drawing, sculpture, fiber arts, and photography.