Arts Midwest welcomed eight people to our Emeritus Board after they completed their Board of Directors service to the organization last month. Together, Flávia Bastos, Brian Bonde, Sandra Clark, Matthew Harris, Mary Pickard, Omari Rush, Michael Louis Vinson, and Matthew Wallace represent a collective 81 years of service on Arts Midwest’s Board.
“We are so thrilled that these eight outstanding individuals have opted to join our Emeritus Board,” said President & CEO Torrie Allen. “In an effort to observe and model best practices in organizational leadership, we implemented new term limits for the Board this year, which meant we had to say goodbye to some incredible, long-standing Board members. We are so excited that they will remain part of our community through the Emeritus Board.”
Flávia Bastos
Flávia Bastos joined the Arts Midwest Board in 2016. She is Professor in the School of Art, in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning at the University of Cincinnati. Her research and scholarship are indebted to her Brazilian roots, experiences with social and cultural diversity, and inspired by the educational philosophy of educator Paulo Freire. She honors diverse communities and celebrates the creative potential of all people through both her research and teaching.
Brian Bonde
Brian J. Bonde joined the Board in 2010. He is a consultant to nonprofit organizations through his firm, Advanced Certified Fundraising, LLC, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He provides services in fundraising, capital campaigns, staff development, board development, marketing communications, planning, as well as being a noted speaker and author. He has been involved in raising over $165 million for nonprofit organizations and holds the highest professional certificate in his field, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive. Brian has been recognized with the AFP International Award for Excellence in Fundraising and the national Showcase Award for Planned Giving from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). Brian has also held senior positions with Sanford Health, Children’s Care Hospital, and other organizations.
Sandra Clark
Sandi Clark joined the Arts Midwest Board in 2011. Sandi is a counselor and consultant specializing in support, coaching, and strategies for clients in personal and career transition. Earlier positions at Indiana University, Cook Incorporated, and as a corporate trainer enhanced Sandi’s expertise in facilitation of problem solving, goal achievement, and strategic planning for individuals, project teams, and organizations. Her community involvement has included serving as Neutral Chair for the worker adjustment committees during the closing of Thomson Consumer Electronics and downsizing of the GE plant in Bloomington, Indiana. An active advocate for the arts, Sandi has served on the Corporation for Capital Improvements and Attractions and the boards of directors of Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, Buskirk-Chumley Theater Management, Bloomington Area Arts Council, and the Cardinal Stage Company. In 2000, Sandi received her first gubernatorial appointment to the Indiana Arts Commission and served until 2009. She was honored with Indiana Coalition for the Arts’ community Arts Leadership Award in 2011.
Matthew Harris
Matt Harris joined the Board in 2011. As Business & Community Partnerships Manager for the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), Matt works to generate private sector revenue for the agency by expanding access to transportation through partnerships with employers and community organizations. In this role, he manages relationships with businesses and corporations, oversees mobility coordination and outreach initiatives to local human service agencies, and leads fundraising strategy for the agency’s art in transit initiatives. Matt came to DART after nearly 15 years in public administration and the nonprofit sector following positions with the Iowa Arts Council and Des Moines Performing Arts. In addition to Arts Midwest, his professional and volunteer service on local, state, and national boards has included the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the Les Hale Endowment Fund, Cedar Falls Community Main Street, the University of Northern Iowa Central Iowa Alumni Club, and the Governor Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University.
Mary Pickard
Mary Pickard joined the Board in 2016. Recently retired as the Principal Advisor at GHR Foundation, Mary led the strategic direction and implementation of GHR Foundation’s Global Development Program. She managed grantmaking focused on advancing local development priorities by empowering women, employing inter-religious approaches, and keeping children in families. Mary also led GHR’s partner Better Way Foundation, which is focused on early childhood education. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mary was president of the Travelers Foundation and vice president of community affairs at Travelers, formerly The St. Paul Companies. Mary is past chair of the Minnesota Council on Foundations and a former board member of the National Council on Foundations. She has also served on the boards of directors of several community-based nonprofit organizations.
Omari Rush
Omari Rush joined the Arts Midwest Board in 2016. Omari engages the arts as a passion and profession, and in each mode enjoys discovery and deepening impacts. As executive director of CultureSource in Detroit, he advances efforts to have creative expression thrive in communities. His complementary civic service ranges from recently completing an appointment to the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (serving three governors, two as council chair) to serving as immediate past chair of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Omari earned degrees in music from the University of Michigan and Florida State University, and extended his love for learning by completing fellowships with the Salzburg Global Forum and Association of Performing Arts Professionals. A lapsed clarinetist, Omari now uses his voice to co-host a monthly arts-focused radio show on NPR’s affiliate WEMU-FM.
Michael Louis Vinson
Michael Louis Vinson joined the Arts Midwest Board in 2011 and most recently served as vice chair. Michael is a Sales Director at Schrieber Foods in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was previously a reporter and blogger at The Post-Crescent newspaper in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he covered city hall, state politics, and national politics. Prior to joining The Post-Crescent, he was a Fellow and Wallace Engagement Associate at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
Matthew Wallace
Matthew Wallace was born and raised in the Spirit Lake Reservation near Devils Lake, North Dakota. In 2012, Matthew was appointed Associate Director of the North Dakota Museum of Art and was named Executive Director in 2022. He joined the museum in 2004 to inaugurate and direct the museum’s Rural Arts Initiative. Under the Rural Arts Initiative, Matthew installs exhibitions in up to 15 rural communities each season and organizes week-long art workshops for communities throughout the state. In addition, Matthew started and organizes the museum’s Concerts in the Garden, an annual music series that takes place in the museum’s sculpture garden.
About the Emeritus Board
Arts Midwest’s Emeritus Board serves as a source of guidance and support for the organization. Composed of former Board members who served with distinction and excellence over their tenure, the Emeritus Board provides an opportunity for its members to remain involved in the organization.