Meet Maria Alcala Barcelo: Supporting Arts Access and Operations at Arts Warehouse
At the heart of Arts Warehouse is a team committed to making the arts accessible, engaging, and impactful—and Maria Alcala Barcelo is no exception. As the Arts Warehouse Assistant, Maria’s role encompasses everything from administrative operations and customer service to assistance with curating exhibitions and supporting programs that connect the public to Delray Beach’s creative community.
“I perform many administrative functions: from customer service and social media content to installing/deinstalling art exhibitions, and program scheduling,” Maria explains. “I like to explain my position as ‘all the behind-the-scenes work to make everything you see, happen.’”
Whether greeting visitors with exhibition insights or explaining how to apply to be a featured artist, Maria thrives in the day-to-day interactions that bring the Arts Warehouse mission to life. “I honestly just enjoy being able to share what we do with people,” she adds. “It is very rewarding to see community engage with what we offer both in the gallery spaces and the artist studio hallways.”
Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Maria’s path to the Arts Warehouse began with a passion for expression and a deep belief in the power of the arts to shape culture. “Growing up in a small city with unmalleable customs, I was always questioning the why of everything…I was never truly interested in subjects that involved numbers or anatomy and was greatly aware of my interest in art and literature.”
She pursued photography and advertising before earning a degree in Art History, each discipline sharpening her curiosity and skills. “It got to a point in which I asked myself ‘what can I do that can include all of these skills?’… And so, art gallery work sounded like heaven.”
Maria’s previous experience at FAU Galleries gave her hands-on exposure to curatorial work, exhibition planning, and connecting with fellow students and artists. That foundation expanded even further when she joined Arts Warehouse. “Coming from such a different country, this position has allowed me to experience inspiration and art in a different light. It is a space where I can be true to what I want to achieve, and to put myself out there to learn even more. It gave my work purpose.”
That sense of purpose comes through in every exhibition Maria helps bring to life and every conversation she sparks with a visitor. “The energy here is so vivid and magnetic that the experience of viewing art is easily elevated, while promoting conversations that make community.”
Maria sees her role as one that inspires, informs, and supports the creative connections that define Arts Warehouse. “It is important to me that the community knows about our work and how important it is for its empowerment.”
