FIERCE

Story by RACHEL STONE and ELISSA CHUDWIN

Photos by DANNY FULGENCIO

Entrepreneurs. Game-changers. Adventurers. Risk-takers.

allas helped Erica Felicella reconnect to her artist self.

Originally from New Hampshire, she moved to Dallas 18 years ago to be near her sister.

“Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Felicella, who lives in Beckley Club Estates, was part of the original Art Conspiracy fundraiser in 2005 and served until recently as executive director of the fundraising nonprofit that it blossomed into.

She’s a performance artist, currently working on a piece that she’s secretive about but says it will involve herself and 20 other people, asking, “Can a community of strangers come together and work as one and create a path and trail-blaze?”

She is a curator, serves on nonprofit boards, is a consultant to arts incubator the Cedars Union and sits on the steering committee for the city’s arts plan.

Felicella, a community builder, attributes some of that to a passion for coffee.

“If anyone asks me to have coffee and talk about life, I take the meeting,” she says. “I’ve met some people who I might not have met. The direction my life has gone in is all thanks to coffee.”

Her third place after home and work: I’m at home lately at Full City Rooster during the day. The Cedars has become a hangout of mine. I grew up in a small town, so I feel really at home in Oak Cliff.

The scariest thing she’s overcome: Every day. I talk about mental health being an important part of my work and that’s because I have many struggles of my own. There isn’t a single day that I don’t wake up afraid, but I get up and do it every day. I’ve always been the girl who likes to stand backstage, and in the past decade I’ve had to come into the light. I’m an accidental leader. I’m a public speaker that can hardly call in a to-go order.

The best advice she’s received: One of my favorites is “Do it anyway.” An old studio mate always said, “Say yes and panic later.” That’s taken me to so many places. And “take risks,” because it’s worth it.

Her advice for others: Listen. Don’t make it about yourself.

What she’s proud of: I found a way to make