Board

Sarah Gillund – President

Sarah Gillund is a Northeast resident and graphic designer. She currently works at the Minneapolis Foundation as their Design and Digital Media Manager. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2018, Sarah spent almost a decade working in nonprofits, most recently as Youth Frontiers’ Communications and Marketing Manager. She is a graduate of both Augsburg University and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, connecting with friends and family, and playing with her corgi, Mose.

Meg Erke – Vice President

Meg Erke is a 2D mixed media artist working with gouache and watercolor collage. Her work is inspired by the natural world and the accessibility of outdoor spaces in the Minneapolis metro. Meg is a life long educator, first working in middle schools and high schools as an art teacher and now as an arts integration advocate and a teaching artist. Meg’s goal while serving on NEMAA’s board is to help artists understand and use the resources available to them through their membership and help build community for artist without studio space in Northeast.

Cynthia Berg – Treasurer

For over 30 years, Cynthia Berg has helped lead civic and nonprofit organizations and has cultivated a professional career growing mission-driven brands. She is a military veteran and has served in senior roles centered around financial management, strategic planning, and communications. Today, Cynthia leverages both her business and creative genius to design visionary, creative brands, as well as expand her reach as a professional mixed media artist and writer. Her goal as a NEMAA board member is to innovate and support programs and events that amplify the artist community and steer the organization toward continued sustainable growth.

Edie Rose – Secretary

Edie Rose is a visual artist and event coordinator based out of Northeast Minneapolis. She is the cofounder of the Society for the Strange & Unusual, an art collective bringing alternative and dark artists together to curate environments that connect artists with their community. Blending digital and acrylic art, her work focuses primarily on the fantastical, whimsical, and the divine feminine. With a background in small business management, she made the decision to branch out and make her dreams come true for herself and others. With event coordinating, she strives to bring this opportunity to artists in both the beginning stages of their career and artists that have established their practice. In partnership with NEMAA, her hope is to continue building spaces of artistic freedom while accommodating for physical and socioeconomic barriers that foster creativity in both artists and non artists alike.

Don Ball

Don is a painter and printmaker who toils evenings and weekends in his basement studio in Richfield. By day, he works as a communications director for GREATER MSP. He spent the previous decade as co-founder of the Twin Cities’ first co-working space. A former Northeast resident, Don remains in love with the neighborhood and its art community and wants to make sure NE artists prosper for years to come.

Corey Bracken

Corey Bracken is a Minneapolis-based entrepreneur and founder of PILLLAR, a company that brings together sustainability, skateboarding, and culture. With a background in project management and environmental advocacy, Corey has spearheaded projects like PILLLAR Forum, a coffee shop, bar, and music venue known for its waste reduction initiatives, and PILLLAR Skateboards, the first climate-positive skateboard company.

As a new member of the NEMAA board, Corey is eager to bring his passion for sustainability and community building to the arts scene. Dedicated to creating connections between environmentalism and the arts, Corey is committed to helping NEMAA grow while honoring its mission.

Jean Marie Durant

Jean Marie Durant, a Minneapolis native with over two decades of leadership experience spanning New York to San Francisco, brings a wealth of expertise to the NEMAA board. With a background in leading creative divisions for renowned apparel retailers such as Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, Jean Marie seamlessly transitioned into nonprofit leadership roles. As the former president of the board of directors and executive director of Oakland Art Murmur, a 501c3 organization in California, she has demonstrated her commitment to fostering creative environments and building cultural movements. Her recent focus is on guiding emerging artists, mentoring small businesses and consulting for apparel retailers nationwide. With a passion for the arts and the ability to forge strong partnerships, Jean Marie is dedicated to maximizing the impact of artistic initiatives and advocating for the transformative power of the arts. She is a passionate advocate of sustainability and circular consumer practices, exemplified by taking the “buy nothing new” approach in her personal life.

Philli Irvin

Philli Irvin, a native of North Minneapolis, is a multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur. As the founder and executive director of Intro To Success (ITS), he is dedicated to supporting early-career Black and Brown artists through resources, funding, and creative spaces. Joining the board of NEMAA, Philli eagerly seeks to forge new and meaningful connections within the Minneapolis arts community. Guided by a profound belief in the transformative power of art, he aims to foster inclusivity and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships among artists, creators, businesses, organizations, and the diverse individuals that comprise communities. By embracing a shared vision and collective goals, Philli envisions an interconnected arts scene in Minneapolis that celebrates the richness of creativity, honors the people, and positively impacts the entire community.

Lydia Millard

Lydia Millard is a Sr. Business Partner at Target experienced in retail, healthcare, transportation, and hospitality. She is skilled in training and developing leaders, conflict resolution, active listening skills, analytical abilities, and communication. She has done volunteer work for programs such as Youth Career Workshop, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Refugee Meal Baskets.

Jim Scatena

Jim Scatena is the retired CEO and President of FloraCraft Corporation. FloraCraft is the world’s largest fabricator of Styrofoam® brand products for the arts & crafts market. He also served as Director of Sales & Marketing with the art materials division of Binney & Smith, the manufacturer and marketer of Crayola brand crayons. He was responsible for the Liquitex brand art materials line.

Jim is a recognized creative industry leader and currently serves as an advisor to the International Art Materials Trade Association (NAMTA). He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association For Creative Industries (AFCI). In 2023, Jim was inducted into the The International Art Materials Trade Association Hall of Fame. This is the association’s highest recognition for supporters, volunteers, and champions of the arts & crafts industry. Jim has extensive board experience and is noted for his strong leadership skills, and also has experience as an expert witness for litigation involving the arts and crafts market.

Suyao Tian

Suyao Tian is an artist, designer, and owner of Viewpoint gallery and outerwear company Modern Cover™. She studied and taught Music Education in China before moving to the US in 2011 to study art & design. She holds a BA in Fine Art from the University Central Arkansas and an MFA in Design and Branding Identity from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her paintings have been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions, along with curating multiple group shows across the country. While curating, painting, running the gallery and Modern Cover™, and raising her son, she continues to be a strong and active member across organizations within the art and creative communities of the Twin Cities. She currently also serves on the Executive Board of Art Buddies, and is passionately engaged with multiple galleries and organizations across the state.