Meet Christine Weber Rivera, our Programs & Events Manager
Christine Weber Rivera joined the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures team last fall and is excited to have stepped into the role of Programs & Events Manager this summer. In addition to running and coordinating the Authors to Schools program, she co-manages the website and is the one in charge of coordinating with our incredible guests and their teams to ensure they enjoy their time in Pittsburgh as much as we love having them here!
What did you do before you joined Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures? 
I’ve spent most of my life as a professional actor, traveling and working in theaters around the United States. My husband and I both lived the nomadic life together for many years, going from gig to gig, contract to contract, until we decided to start a family. We had our two amazing children, and while we continue to perform on stage or screen whenever we can, my husband was offered a job teaching at one of the universities here in Pittsburgh, so we jumped on the opportunity and moved here. Within a couple of years I decided it was time to go back to school, so I went to Carnegie Mellon University – Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, and just graduated with my Master of Arts Management degree in May!
What drew you to work with PA&L?
Growing up in Minnesota, one of my dearest friends (I refer to her as my second mother, actually!) would take me to author lectures when I was growing up. I got to see great authors like Armistead Maupin and Carlos Ruiz Zafón speak when I was just a teenager, and they were formative experiences for me. As an actor, I’ve always understood how scripts are written–but novels and short stories seemed like an entirely different and unattainable world. To see these authors and hear them–their voices, their dialects, their cadences–brought a whole new level of love for their work and a deeper appreciation for the magic of writing.
When I learned that Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures exists, I jumped at the chance to get involved. The mission of PA&L resonates deeply with me, and I am still blown away that I get to interact with the humans behind these works of art. Being a champion for freedom of expression, the written word, and storytelling as a form of connection–you can’t ask for a better job.
What do you hope to accomplish in your role?
I can’t wait to enhance our incredible Authors to Schools program, and am looking to build out ways that students from different schools can not only interact with renowned authors, but also with each other. I believe that offering children/students opportunities to explore their creativity and find their own voices is at the heart of childhood, and being a resource for educators in our area is a point of pride I can’t quite express adequately.
It’s also important to me that I reach new communities in Pittsburgh through our outreach efforts, and offer a collaborative platform for the countless non-profit organizations that make this city so vibrant, welcoming, and unique. Our audiences deserve the best experiences with the authors that join us, and our authors deserve the best of Pittsburgh as well. It’s exciting to be an ambassador for this city.
Tell us a bit about you–what are some of your favorite pastimes?
Honestly, I like a little bit of just about everything! I love traveling, listening to new music, I always have a book with me in my bag, and am equally as happy to watch a baseball game or the ballet. These days, you’ll find me writing, reading, learning French, being a Girl Scout mom, a tee ball coach, baking, doing crossword puzzles, gardening, performing, and producing short films. I like to keep busy!
The golden question: if you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three books, which would you bring?
Charlotte’s Web, The Shadow of the Wind, and probably a book of short stories by Salinger or Saroyan.
What are you currently reading?
Piglet by Lottie Hazell, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and finally started Intermezzo by Sally Rooney!
