We are thrilled to welcome Gabriele Preston as the new Program and Education Manager at West Park Cultural Center! Gabriele is an experienced Teaching Artist and Program Director with a deep passion for collaborative theatre making, arts education, and community empowerment. Their work focuses on creating safe, inclusive, and inspiring spaces where young artists can explore self-expression, build confidence, and develop creative skills.
As Program and Education Manager, Gabriele will oversee West Park Cultural Center’s Signature Programs, ensuring that our diverse range of arts and technology programs continue to provide meaningful experiences for youth. WPCC offers programs in dance, music, visual arts, theater, and stem, all designed to reinforce key life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and self-confidence.
- Afterschool Visual Art – Encourages students to explore painting and drawing, developing artistic skills and visual awareness through engaging projects.
- Theatre Writing and Performance – Inspires youth to tap into their creative potential through writing monologues and short scenes, with opportunities to perform or direct their peers.
- Afterschool Guitar – Provides hands-on instruction in guitar fundamentals, fostering discipline, musical appreciation, and creativity.
- danceLogic – A groundbreaking program for teen girls (ages 10 and up) that merges dance and computer coding, equipping participants with valuable STEAM skills while fostering teamwork and confidence.
- Photography/Poetry – Explores themes in poetry and photography, allowing students to find creative inspiration in the world around them while building portfolios of original work.
- Camp Ginkgo – A summer arts and nature program offering four weeks of immersive experiences in visual arts, music, dance, theater, and film/photography, held at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park.
Gabriele joins us with an impressive background in arts education and program management. They also serve as the Program Director of the Shadow Company at Yes…And! Collaborative Arts, where they mentor and manage youth staff in arts administration and artistic direction. Additionally, as a Museum Educator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, they developed curriculum and worked with K-12 students, strengthening their expertise in arts education across various age groups.
Their experience also includes working as a visual arts teacher for middle school students through the Art Resource Collaborative for Kids, where they gained invaluable insights into structured support systems in education.
Beyond their work in arts education, Gabriele is deeply passionate about integrating visual and performing arts with nature-based programming, a vision that aligns beautifully with our mission at West Park Cultural Center.
We are incredibly excited to have Gabriele on board and look forward to the creativity, leadership, and vision they bring to our programs.
Welcome to the team, Gabriele!
