Executive Director

Patrick Calder-Carriere returned to the Bemidji area and joined the Region 2 Arts Council in July of 2024. He was a Professor of Theater, Creative Writing, and English in the Minnstate system for 2 decades. Patrick’s passion for the arts has led him to perform and study in Greece, Cyprus, China, Japan, Russia, and England. One highlight of his career is the 8 years he worked with the Thunderbird Theater at Haskell Indian Nations University where he witnessed how the arts bring together communities, celebrate culture, and create conversations. Patrick holds a Ph.D. in Dramatic History and Criticism and a Master’s degree in Theater/International Theater from the University of Kansas, a Master’s degree in English Literature/Composition from Minnesota State University – Mankato, and Bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Education from Bemidji State University, and Biology from Carleton College.

Grants Manager

Holly has worked with the Region 2 Arts Council since 2010. She is our data maven, office guru, and tech support. If you need information about your grant, need technical assistance with work samples, are missing a payment or paperwork, she’s the one to contact. Holly worked for a decade as a graphic designer, and as an art teacher for K-12 students in the decade before that. She holds a Masters of Arts In Interdisciplinary Studies – Women Studies, Fine Art and Graphic Design – from Oregon State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Wells College in Aurora, NY. Holly paints lively and colorful figures, draws comics, and occasionally acts in local theater productions.

Bookkeeper/Finance Manager

Michele started with Region 2 Arts Council in 2022 and her passion for the arts and knowledge for accounting made her a great fit. Her love of numbers, eagerness to learn new things, and devotion to helping others find success in their professional lives through organization are great assets.

Michele grew up enjoying music and the arts in the Philippines. She has been living in Minnesota since 2014 and received her accounting degree from Minnesota State Community and Technical College where she also took classes in painting and music history. She is currently learning to play the piano and even working on hitting the drums, as the arts are a centerpiece in her home and family life.

Outreach Coordinator

Ogimaa grew up in the Great Lakes Area, but has been living in Bemidji full-time since 2017. They are a member of the Turtle Mountain band of Ojibwe. Ogimaa has loved the arts since they were a child, spending all their free time filling up sketchbooks one after another. They are a team player that holds value in connecting with other people. They hold a passion for using art as a means to connect with others through storytelling. They hold a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in illustration, as well as a minor in Indigenous studies; both from Bemidji State University. Currently they are enjoying time in the state parks around the area and hiking with their dog, Fern.

Mahnomen County Representative (Chair).

Larson is excited to support Region 2 Arts Council’s vision to improve quality of life through the arts. Anna’s father is a watercolorist, cartoonist and multi-media collage artist who encouraged her artistic potential by taking Anna to art fairs and painting with her in his small basement studio. She furthered this artistic inspiration through an MFA in creative writing (poetry thesis) and brings a varied artistic interest in film, poetry, painting, oral interpretation and music, to name a few. Anna currently serves on a Native Neighbors Bridge Building Table with the ELCA Northwest Synod as secretary while living on the agricultural westside of White Earth Reservation – living in and with the tensions and dynamic gifts of a cross cultural setting. As an Interfaith Universal Life Church minister, Anna also contributes a strong, person-centered approach to our work. In her words, ” Art must have both natural and human centered-value. A reciprocal, give-and take spirit builds people up and fosters collaboration and belonging. I have a person-centered approach to the value of art rather than “object” centered while maintaining high aesthetic standards for public spaces.” We are excited for her presence and contribution toward on-going efforts to build greater Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in our systems, processes and programming.

Beltrami County Representative. (Vice Chair)

“My husband and I moved from Michigan, bought land and built our home north of Blackduck in 1975. I worked at Head Start for forty years in Blackduck. I supervised the center for thirty five of those years. I was assistant Director of the Bi-Cap Head Start program for one year when the director took a leave of absence. I feel like I have a good relationship with the community. I retired in 2015. I went to college at Olivet a small liberal arts college in Michigan where I majored in Art and Literature. I have spent my retirement gardening and painting and doing Fiber work. I look forward to engaging Northern Beltrami in the arts.”

Hubbard County Representative (Treasurer).

“I have been a resident of the Bemidji area and Northern Hubbard County since 1993. In addition to the natural beauty of the area, I love all the creative ways people express themselves through art, music theatre, and traditional crafts. I love that the voters of Minnesota chose to support all these pursuits through the Legacy funds and I am thrilled to be a part of helping artists from all walks of life to fulfill their visions and keeping rural communities vibrant and interesting.”

Lake of the Woods County Representative. (Secretary)

Shawna Wendler, representing Lake of the Woods County, is honored to serve on the R2AC board. It is her mission to promote and encourage more art and art opportunities throughout the community, county, and region.

Born and raised in Alaska she visited family on the homestead in Lake of the Woods often growing up and has lived in the area for over twenty years. Shawna is currently a reporter for the local newspaper and welcomes the opportunity to promote art and artists, as well as Region 2 Arts Council grant opportunities, and more.

Together, she and her husband have five children and one grandchild.

Shawna, her husband, and their children all enjoy creating art in various forms and mediums, attending performing arts, and other opportunities to explore art, history and cultural events across the state.

Hubbard County Representative.

Rachel Cox has been a Park Rapids resident since moving here from Florida in 2022. She has a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for NASA Kennedy Space Center for 13 years. She is a mother and lifelong artist. While living in Florida, she received support for her art through the local cultural alliance. They worked to display her art, along with that of thousands of other artists, on the walls of local businesses. She came to deeply value how it helped her build her confidence and connect with the community. Now Rachel wants to give back by supporting the community of artists around her in Minnesota. 

Clearwater County Representative

Born and raised in the Minneapolis area, I came to Bemidji in 1975 to attend BSU. I fell in love with the northwoods and never really left, earning a BFA from BSU with a K-12 art education certificate and an MFA from UND.  Primarily a metalsmith, I create one-of- kind and sculptural jewelry art where form does not necessarily follow function. 

I taught at BSU for several years, was involved in the groundwork for and taught at TrekNorth High School its first 2 years, and most recently  retired after teaching at Clearbrook Gonvick High School for 8 years.

 Presently residing in Clearbrook, I look forward to helping promote the arts and the artists of R2AC.

Clearwater County Representative.

Bonnie Friborg is a lifelong resident of Clearwater County. Her motivation for serving on the Region 2 Arts Council Board of Directors is fueled by her hope to bring more art experiences to our schools and communities. She is interested in many art forms, one of which is being a fabricator of metals and rock, the result of which is original jewelry, made with her own cabochons of semi-precious rocks, granite, and even driftwood. She is a dedicated member of the Bagley Area Arts Collaborative, and she recognizes the strength of having the arts available to all. Bonnie Friborg feels strongly that creativity is a process, and that the arts can be a welcoming place, a place where everyone belongs.

Mahnomen County Representative.

Laurie grew up in the Blackduck area, earned a BS in Elementary Education with a History minor from Bemidji State and a Masters of Education from UW-LaCrosse. While growing up in a close-knit family who excelled in their own talents, Laurie was able to find her own creative niche in a variety of areas. Her husband, Laurie and their two sons lived in Michigan’s UP and in southwest Wisconsin before “coming home” to northern Minnesota. As a family, they were able to enjoy the beauty of nature and the talent of others who exhibited their various artistic skills. Through their children, Laurie and her husband added in the performing arts in the form of musicals and plays, drama and speech, as well as photography, sculpture and drawing. By meeting others, their world grew exponentially, daily encompassing yet more variations of art. "We can learn from everyone we meet" Laurie states. “I feel that everyone is an artist, often they don’t realize it. Those talents need to be nurtured and celebrated, exposure to the various forms is so necessary, starting as young as possible.”

While working as a teacher, Laurie was able to help to write grants to help bring visiting authors, illustrators, and poets to their school and it was amazing to see children as they experienced the process. The time and effort put in, and the continuing struggle to achieve more by those talented people was introduced. She notes that it’s important to bring these kinds of events to this area and celebrate the artists that we do have here and allow them to showcase their skills. "Art tends to be historical as well, and we need to continue to learn from the past to have a brighter future." Laurie and her husband live in Mahnomen County where she is involved with the Mahnomen County Historical Society Board, the Blackduck Area History and Art Center, and the Beltrami County Historical Society.

Lake of the Woods County Representative

This position on the board is open.

If you recognize that the arts are valuable to the quality of life in North Central Minnesota, we invite you to consider becoming a Board Member. Our ten-member Board is comprised of two representatives from each of the five counties that we serve: Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen. Get the Application here!

Beltrami County Representative

This position on the board is open.

If you recognize that the arts are valuable to the quality of life in North Central Minnesota, we invite you to consider becoming a Board Member. Our ten-member Board is comprised of two representatives from each of the five counties that we serve: Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen. Get the Application here!