A new executive is officially in charge of ArtsWestchester after an eight-month nationwide search.

In her first television interview as CEO, Kathleen Reckling sat down with News 12's senior reporter Tara Rosenblum.

Reckling is replacing Janet Langsam, who led Westchester's oldest and most respected organization dedicated to the arts for more than three decades.

"This is about paying forward, the experiences I had growing up," says Reckling, who is a lifelong county resident and Ardsley High School graduate. "It was a long process, and I'd like to think I came out on top because the mission is so personal."

Reckling took News 12 along for a sneak peek of the gallery's latest showcase featuring the work of six local photographers exploring the meaning of home.

It's her first exhibit, since replacing Langsam, her longtime mentor.

"No one can ever replace Janet. She was a legend so I have to find a way to do it my own way," she says. "So there is an opportunity to look into the organization and understand it differently."

One way she hopes to do that is to promote more public art, like a newly revealed mural by the White Plains train station, painted by internationally renowned street artist Dasic Fernandez.

Reckling says art has a special way of bringing everyone together when so much in the world feels so out of control.

"Art is a tool art is a tool for empowerment,” Reckling says.

To learn more about some of ArtsWestchester's upcoming events, click here.