Staff

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Head and shoulders of Matthew Anderson wearing a dark coral button-up shirt with a white undershirt, clear rimmed glasses, with pale skin, a big toothy smile, dark eyes, short, light hair and short gray beard
Matthew Anderson

Arts in Education Director
(701) 328-7593
mabanderson@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Artist in Residence, Arts in Education Collaboration, Teacher Professional Development, and Poetry Out Loud

Head and shoulders of Rhea Beto with brown eyes, curly, shoulder-length blond hair, light skin, toothy smile, wearing dark long-sleeve shirt with light grey background
Rhea Beto

Public Information Officer / Accessibility Coordinator 
(701) 328-7594
rbeto@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Accessibility Grant Program, Newsletters, Press, Social Media, Websites, Accessibility, and Worksite Wellness

head and shoulders of Jessica Christy with long, full, straight dark hair; fair skin; dark shirt; thick, patterned rimmed round glasses; and a closed sweet smile
Jessica Christy

Executive Director
(701) 328-7592
jesschristy@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Institutional Support, Indigenous Artist Growth and Development Fellowship; Budget and Administration

head and shoulders of smiling Troyd Geist wearing tan vest over red flannel shirt, with short brown hair and a cream-colored background
Troyd Geist

State Folklorist
(701) 328-7590
tgeist@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship and Art for Life

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head and shoulders of Brenna Lahren with long, curly, red-brown hair, light skin, toothy smile with red lipstick, long dangling earrings, light grey shirt with blurred stairwell in the background
Brenna Lahren

Special Projects Coordinator
(701) 328-7404
blahren@nd.gov
Program Assistant: Arts Across the Prairie - Placemaking in Rural North Dakota, Poetry Out Loud; General Office Support

Head and shoulders of Lisa McCallum with fair skin, hazel eyes, shoulder-length curly brown hair wearing a black shirt with thin white lines and a black sweater, standing outside in front of leafy green bushes
Lisa McCallum

Program Manager / Grants System Administrator
(701) 328-7615 lmccallum@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Artist Growth and Development, Community Arts Access, Professional Development, and Special Projects

head and shoulders of caucasian Gail Schmidt with long, straight brown hair, pink cheeks and a warm toothy smile
Gail Schmidt

Fiscal & Administrative Officer
(701) 328-7955
gaschmidt@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Grants and Financial Systems Management

head and shoulders of Tobias Zikmund with short, messy, dirty blonde hair, black dot earrings, pale skin and a big toothy smile; wearing a green striped suit jacket and black tie
Tobias Zikmund

Program Manager
(701) 328-1135 tzikmund@nd.gov
Programs Managed: Arts Across the Prairie - Placemaking in Rural North Dakota

Related Resources
AmeriCorps service opportunity
Public Art and Careers Coordinator
  • Length of Service: Late July 2025 through December, 2025 (flexible)
  • Overview: Support the operations of Arts Across the Prairie: Placemaking in Rural North Dakota, a large-scale public art program. Build learning opportunities for artists in North Dakota. Promote public art while assisting in projects supporting the United States’ semiquincentennial.
  • Location: This position has the capability to be in-person from Bismarck, hybrid, or remote. Candidates may live and work from anywhere in North Dakota. Candidates may also live in border communities of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota, provided there is close proximity to North Dakota.
  • Expectations: 300 hours per year, approximately 15 hours per week over the 20 week service period, flexibly scheduled.
  • Compensation: Compensation will consist of $3500 living allowance per year and $1,565.08 educational award.
  • To apply: Send resume and cover letter to Tobias Zikmund, Program Manager, at tzikmund@nd.gov by July 22. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
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