Bella Rivera

Scenic Designer & Artisan

Meet the Designer.

Bella Rivera (they/them) is a Chicanx scenic designer, props designer, and scenic painter based in Seattle WA. They moved from their hometown of San Diego, CA to study at Seattle University, and they hold a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Bella is two time Gregory Award nominee, most recently for Outstanding Scenic Design (2025). They are currently Lead Props Artisan at Village Theatre. Bella’s work is heavily inspired by nature, altar spaces, and magical realism.

Past credits include: Seattle Public Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, The Shattered Glass Project, Macha Theatre Works, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Island Shakespeare Festival, ArtsWest, Taproot Theatre, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Noveltease Theatre, Annex Theatre, The 14/48 Projects, and Village Theatre. Upcoming projects include scenic design for Wife of Headless Man Investigates Her Own Disappearance (Annex Theatre). Bella is passionate about utilizing theatrical design to bring dynamic stories from Queer/BIPOC creators to life on Seattle stages.

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Mission Statement:

”My goal is to help lift up stories that typically go unheard, foster community support for artists who face systemic barriers in our field, and empower future generations of theatre makers.”

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Scenic Design

Bella has worked professionally as a scenic designer since 2020, designing virtually during the lockdown. They hit the ground running once theatres opened up.

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Scenic Paint

They also work as a scenic charge, sharpening their paint skills alongside design. Bella loves working with other scenic designers to bring their vision to life.

Canvas Painting

Every once in a while Bella gets to paint something on a canvas rather than a wall or floor. You can find those here!

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