Announcing our new executive director, Theresa Esterlund

​UpCycle Creative Reuse Center is thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Executive Director, Theresa Esterlund. Theresa’s professional career spans 30 years as a leader and educator at the Smithsonian Institution, private museums, art centers, and public and private schools. 

"Theresa’s background in art and museum education and her commitment to building community through creativity are a perfect fit for our organization,” said UpCycle's Board Chair Kelley Organek. “We’re confident that under Theresa’s leadership, UpCycle will continue to flourish.”

Theresa is deeply committed to creativity, community, collaboration, and mindfulness; ideals that are embedded in UpCycle's mission and values. “This is an exciting time for UpCycle,” Theresa said. “I’m looking forward to bringing my own creativity and energy to this inspiring organization.”

During her career, Theresa has led programming and interpretive teams at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and the National Museum of American History, the Textile Museum, and the National Building Museum. 
 
As a museum educator, Theresa created object-based experiences and materials for various audiences, including exhibition interpretation, tours, family programs, school programs, teacher workshops, and interactive web experiences. She also oversaw museum volunteers and visitor services teams. Theresa currently teaches a Museum Studies graduate course on museum learning at George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. 
 
Preceding her museum career, Theresa taught middle and high school students with emotional/behavioral challenges and/or learning differences. Since 2012, she has taught yoga, mindful movement, and meditation. Theresa is Letterpress Associate at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, where she supports the center by maintaining the presses and teaching classes in letterpress. Her collage artwork has been featured in numerous juried shows, including Smithsonian staff art shows, and she designs and produces stationery and paper goods under her brand Open to Being™.
 
Theresa holds an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Masters in Education from the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
 
UpCycle Creative Reuse Center inspires all people to explore and create by engaging our community in art-making experiences with reuse materials. UpCycle is located at 5380-D Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia, 22304. For more information visit www.upcyclecrc.org.

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