Quiet force behind Ferndale’s murals Taking on thankless jobs, Rebecca Xczar creates better community

By Sarah McCauley Staff Reporter

FERNDALE — Everyone in Ferndale knows about the murals that decorate downtown. They bring a pop of color and life to Main Street. But not everyone knows the woman behind them: Rebecca Xczar.

Xczar is a quiet but powerful force in the community. This is how her friend and fellow founder of Connect Ferndale describes her.

“She’s not an outspoken person,” O’Connor said. “She can be. I’ve seen her get fired up about things. But she sort of hangs back and she listens, she observes. But when she speaks, she’s got something to say.”

Right away it’s easy to see that she is, as

O’Connor describes her, a force.

One of those people who, rather than just sitting around saying they wish things would change, actually rolls her sleeves up and gets to work. For proof of this, look no further than the list of things she is involved in.

Her resume includes helping found the nonprofit Connect Ferndale, serving as chair of the Ferndale Arts Commission (FAC), co-owning Empress Tattoo, and on top of all this, devoting her career