Arts Experiences

Linda Bruning: Bruning is a theater director and teaching artist. She has been the recipient of Minnesota State Arts Board grants and regional arts council grants. Bruning just completed a four-year consultation with Mastering the Arts, an educational program of 25 teachers working toward a master?s degree in arts integration. She graduated from Yankton College (Yankton, SD) with a BA in theater, Bemidji State University with an applied master?s in education with an emphasis in arts in education, and a MS from University of Minnesota Moorhead in educational technology.; Amy Driscoll: Driscoll is the development manager at the Minnesota Boychoir in Saint Paul; she has held the position for four years. Apart from her professional role, Driscoll is connected to the arts as a performer, parent, event volunteer, and patron. She holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing and spent 30 years as a registered nurse before embarking on her second career in fundraising and development.; Rae French: I have worked in higher education for 29 years. The area I mostly work in is International Programs where I enjoy the artistic freedom of creative programming. I?ve worked in Study Abroad, Admissions, First Year Programs, and International Recruitment. Over the last 10 years, I have served as a reviewer for the Arts and have learned so much about the process. I call Crookston, MN my home of 30 years, and I have two kids who currently attend Concordia College Moorhead. My husband of 28 years also works at UMC in music and theater. Throughout my stay in Crookston, I continue to be involved with church, school, music, ninth district legion band, bell choir, and work with local organizations like Kiwanis and Rotary.; Amanda Hayden: Amanda is the Youth Program Specialist at StoryArk, where she runs and creates programming that allows youth voices to initiate creative teams in which they communicate, collaborate and connect with each other to imagine and produce narrative podcasts, short films, and a literary magazine that publishes prose, poetry and visual arts. Amanda was previously a high school theatre teacher in the Minneapolis Public School district and ran the after school theatre program. They graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a BA in Theatre and Peace Studies and is pursuing their Masters at Hamline University in Education.; Patricia Kirby: Kirby is a marketing contractor for Ecolab. Most of her career, she facilitated productions for artists and companies from around the world on North American tours and for Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. Prior to her work in artist services, Kirby was a program officer for the Arts Board's Arts Across Minnesota program and the business manager for Williamstown Theatre Festival (Williamstown, MA). She started her career in ticketing and accounting. Kirby holds a BS in finance from the University of Minnesota and an MBA in arts administration from Indiana University.; Kelly Lundquist: Originally from Mississippi, Kelly Foster Lundquist now directs the AFA in Creative Writing program at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and is on the Teaching Artist Roster for the Central Minnesota Arts Board. Among other places, her nonfiction and poetry have appeared in Last Syllable Lit, Whale Road Review, and Image Journal. Her first book, Beard: A Memoir, will be published by Eerdmans in 2025. ; Jenny Moeller: Jenny Moeller (she/her) is a props and lighting designer, theater artist, and writer working in the Twin Cities. Jenny currently serves on the board for Arts Nest, is the technical director of the Twin Cities Horror Festival, and is the former Artistic Director of Raw Sugar. She has worked as technical director, designer, and builder for many theaters, including the Minnesota Opera, Nimbus, the Southern Theater, Theatre Pro Rata, Theatre Unbound, and Six Points Theater.