Interview by AFA Intern Franny Daleo-Clark in Spring of 2025
Q: Who are you?
Ana: I am Ana Maria Rubio, a Colombian woman, mother, artist, and educator. My work and passion lie at the intersection of art and education. As an immigrant and a mother, I bring a deep sense of empathy, cultural pride, and creativity to everything I do, using the arts as a bridge to connect people.
Q: How did you first get involved in your specific discipline of art?
Ana: Officially, I began my journey in performing arts when I pursued my bachelor’s degree. But in reality, I’ve been immersed in it my whole life. As a child, I would create dances and theater plays with my sister for our family and even at our church. In school, I joined the dance club, became a cheerleader, and sought out every opportunity to perform during cultural events.
Alongside my love for performing arts, I’ve always been passionate about visual arts, even though I never studied them formally. From a young age, I found joy in painting, drawing, and creating origami with my dad. Art, in all its forms, has always been a part of my life.
Q: What role did the arts play in your upbringing?
Ana: Art was my way of making sense of the world. It was my playground, my escape, and my way of connecting with others. Whether through dance, theater, origami, or painting, art gave me the freedom to express emotions. Growing up in an academic household with parents who were educators, I was constantly encouraged to explore and learn, and art became the space where I could experiment, imagine, and create without limits.
Q: What is your educational background?
Ana: I hold a bachelor’s degree in performing arts and a master’s degree in applied theatre.
Q: What was your “path” in getting where you are? How did you get here as a teaching artist, and did you always want to do what you are doing now?
Ana: Coming from a family of educators, I was always surrounded by learning environments. When I pursued my bachelor’s degree in performing arts, I loved the creative process but struggled with the often competitive and rigid atmosphere. I encountered harsh critiques about my body and abilities, and I often felt like vulnerability was only acceptable if it served the performance.
These experiences, combined with my personal journey, led me to my master’s degree in applied theatre. I wanted to use the arts not just as a means of performance, but as a tool for healing, empowerment, and community building. I realized that art should uplift rather than diminish, and that belief has shaped my approach as a teaching artist.
Q: Did you experience a particular “aha moment” in which you realized your specific artistic discipline was your passion?
Ana: Although I truly enjoy what I do now, I still find myself wondering about the other paths I haven’t had the chance to explore, which might also ignite my passion. However, if I had to pinpoint a specific “aha moment” related to my discipline, it would be the realization of how powerful it is to create in an environment where diverse cultures and languages coexist. The moment I understood that, especially when working with children, their identities aren’t something to be hidden but celebrated and embraced, it became clear to me that this was something I was passionate about. Being able to express creativity in a space that nurtures self-expression without fear of judgement, where people are free to be themselves, is what truly resonates with me.
Q: How do the children you work with inspire you to continue being a teaching artist?
Ana: As an immigrant, working with young people who also navigate cultural and language barriers is incredibly meaningful. Many of my students speak Spanish and sometimes struggle with feeling like they don’t belong. I want to remind them that their language, their stories, and their backgrounds are valuable. Art gives them a way to express themselves and seeing them embrace that keeps me inspired.
Q: What is one of the main takeaways you hope the students gain from your classes?
Ana: One of the main takeaways I hope my students gain from my classes is a strong sense of confidence in their own voices. I want them to leave knowing that their stories matter, their creativity holds immense power, and their imagination is an endless resource they can draw from to shape the world around them. Above all, I want them to understand that being a child is a beautiful, joyful experience- one that should be fully embraced. They don’t need to feel confined to silence, stillness, or shrinking into the background. It’s perfectly fine to move, dance, speak up, color outside the lines, and simply enjoy the freedom of being themselves. Of course, part of this journey also involves learning to listen, respect others, and follow
instructions, but at the heart of it all is the belief that their unique voices and creative expressions are worthy of being heard and celebrated. My hope is that they leave with the courage to take risks, make mistakes, and explore the limitless possibilities of who they can be.
Q: What drew you to Arts For All? What are some of the projects you have been working on with students so far?
Ana: I first learned about Arts For All through colleagues from my master’s program, and I was immediately drawn to the organization’s mission. Their commitment to making the arts accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or resources, deeply resonates with my own beliefs. The opportunity to work in an environment that values inclusivity and creativity was something I couldn’t pass up. When I interviewed for the position, I was pregnant, and the organization’s openness and support during that time were incredibly meaningful to me. They never made me feel that my pregnancy was an obstacle in the hiring process, which I truly appreciated.
During my time in my master’s program, I had the privilege of participating in a variety of projects with young people. I helped create plays with teenagers and preteens through a process called play building, allowing them to collaboratively tell their own stories. I also co-created a theater-in-education play with some classmates, which was implemented in an elementary school classroom.
In addition to my work with Arts For All, I’m also involved with the Girls Scouts of Suffolk County, where I have the chance to explore more crafts and visual arts projects with young girls. This allows me to expand my artistic practice and share new forms of expression with young people, encouraging them to explore their creativity in various ways.
Q: Do you have any favorite in-classroom moments working with students?
Ana: I absolutely love those moments when students approach me with a smile and ask if they can give me a hug. It’s always so heartwarming when they give me presents that hold personal meaning to them. One of the moments that stands out the most was when a student, who doesn’t speak English, was writing a poem about how much he missed his country and his family, and how sad he felt. The following week, during our self-portrait activity, he used that open as inspiration. He drew his flag with different textures and sizes, and even portrayed himself with the flag as his head. He transformed his sadness and homesickness into strength and inspiration, channeling his emotions into a powerful, creative expression.
Q: How do you see art in your daily life?
Ana: I see art everywhere, especially in my baby – in how strong he is, his laughter, how he surprises me by doing new things every day, and how he marvels at the small details of the world around him. I see art in the smiles of the children I teach, in their excitement when they participate in a game, in creating a painting they feel proud of, or writing a poem that speaks of who they are. I see it when they reflect on a book in a way that I wouldn’t expect from a child. I find art in nature, in the colors of the food my partner prepares for me, in my sister who is immense in the world of film, in my father who decorates his classroom for his students and makes them origami presents. I see it in the conversations with my mother that offer me new perspectives on the world, in the people who dance, sing, and play instruments in the subway or on the street, and in my friends form the University of Colombia, who are each creating their own paths, yet we all share a passion for art and dream of continuing to act, dance, and create.
Q: What does art mean to you?
Ana: Art is passion, healing, and connection. It’s a way to understand and reshape the world, a tool for introspection, and a means of bringing people together. Art is freedom—it allows us to imagine beyond our circumstances and to create something meaningful out of our experiences.
For more information on Ana Maria Rubio, watch her episode of “Arts For All: Behind the Artist” here.
