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Joseph DeMasi - Board President
Joseph DeMasi has served as President of the Bridges Arts Council for several years. A professional musician, he performs as a guitarist and vocalist and is deeply involved in promoting the arts in Valley City and Barnes County. Originally from the New York City area, Joseph spent much of his life touring with various musical groups. Today, he performs both solo and alongside his twin brother, John, presenting folk music concerts across the country. He has also released multiple CDs. Joseph played a key role in the renovation of the Pioneer Park Amphitheater and remains dedicated to expanding the work of the Bridges Arts Council to enrich the quality of life in our community.
Hilde van Gijssel - Board Treasurer/Secretary
Hilde van Gijssel joined the Bridges Arts Council in 2008 and has served as Treasurer—and occasionally as Secretary—since 2011. Originally from the Netherlands, Hilde earned both her master’s and doctoral degrees from Leiden University in Leiden, The Netherlands. In 2002, she moved to Valley City to begin her faculty position in the Science Department at Valley City State University. She later earned a Master of Education degree from VCSU in 2015.
Hilde firmly believes that volunteering and community involvement are vital to a healthy society. She also believes the arts make the world a better place. She enjoys attending concerts, exhibits, and performances, and is a dedicated supporter of all things art. In her spare time, she dabbles in photography, plays the violin, and enjoys singing with others.
Maggie Oakland - Board Member
Maggie Oakland was born and raised on her family farm just outside Valley City, North Dakota, where she was introduced to the arts early in life by watching her mother, visual artist Sharon Linnehan, create still lifes, landscapes, and portraits.
After high school, Maggie moved to Grand Forks to attend the University of North Dakota and began her career with the North Dakota Department of Human Services. She worked as a case manager, volunteered with the American Red Cross, served as a civil mediator, and moonlighted as a keyboardist in the band FIRE until her son was born in 2011.
She earned her Master of Arts in Counseling in 2014 and returned with her husband and son to Valley City to continue her work as a therapist in her home region. In 2018, she partnered on behalf of the South Central Human Service Center in Jamestown with the North Dakota Council on the Arts and the Jamestown Arts Center to develop Coping Skills Through Art, a program supporting individuals with chronic addiction and/or serious mental illness.
Maggie joined the Bridges Arts Council in 2019 to further her efforts in integrating the arts with recovery and mental health. She is co-author of the 2011 Psychology Journal article “The Association Between Social Adjustment and Satisfaction in Individuals Having Schizophrenia.” She currently serves as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) through the Department of Human Services and as a National Certified Guardian through Lighthouse Associates, Inc.
Gratia Brown - Board Member
Gratia Brown loves to make things, break things, and create pieces that celebrate the poetic nature of fragments and debris. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art & Architecture and Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh. Gratia is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at Valley City State University (ND), where she teaches ceramics, sculpture, art methods, and art history. In the summer of 2021, she participated in the Studio Paducah artist residency program.
Her exhibitions and honors include Ancient Alchemy at the Washington Pavilion (SD), Part and Parcel—a 2010 NCECA Conference Concurrent Exhibition—and the 4th UNICUM Ceramics Triennial at the National Museum of Slovenia, where her work received a Recognition Award. Most recently, she received 2nd place in the Visions in Clay exhibit at the LH Horton Jr Gallery (CA).
Gratia has earned scholarships and assistantships from Haystack Mountain School of Craft (ME), Penland School of Craft (NC), and Arrowmont School of Art and Craft (TN). She has completed artist residencies at The Hungarian Multicultural Center (Budapest, Hungary), I-Park (CT), Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts (ME), The Ceramics Center (IA), the University of North Dakota (ND), and Northern State University (SD).
Diane Sommerfeld - Board Member
Diane Sommerfeld grew up on a farm in the Kathryn/Litchville area, where music was a constant presence in her family, church, and school life. During high school, she spent two summers working at the local newspaper and was encouraged to pursue Graphic Arts at NDSCS. She attended for one year before earning her "M.R.S." degree and moving to Valley City, where she began working for the Times-Record. Diane served as Graphic Arts Manager there for over 20 years, handling layout and design for a wide range of publications and projects.
After settling in Valley City, she became active with the Valley City Community Theatre, serving on its board for approximately six years. She has remained deeply involved in her family's school and community activities, as well as with her church. Diane has worked with the Valley City Park District for over 20 years and has been a member of the Bridges Arts Council for the past 6–7 years. She enjoys attending plays, musicals, and most forms of music.
Nick Lee - Board Member
Nick Lee began serving the Bridges Arts Council as Arts Administrator in February 2020 and now continues his commitment to the organization as a Board Member. Throughout his life, Nick has been deeply involved in the arts and feels a strong responsibility to help make arts opportunities accessible to as many people as possible.
He earned his degree in Health Science with a minor in Biology from Valley City State University in 2016 and completed his Master of Arts in Teaching from VCSU in December 2021. Nick is actively involved with the Communication, Speech, and Theater Association of North Dakota, working to promote speech, debate, and theater opportunities across the state. He strongly believes that all students deserve access to the arts.
In addition to his work with the Bridges Arts Council, Nick serves as Head Speech Coach and Student Congress Coach at Valley City Public Schools.
Rachel Olson - Arts Administrator
Rachel Olson joined the Bridges Arts Council in 2025, bringing a passion for community involvement, connection-building, and supporting meaningful local experiences. Originally from Fort Ransom, she now lives in Kathryn with her boyfriend and believes deeply in preserving history, honoring traditions, and keeping rural communities thriving.
Rachel’s background blends creativity, community leadership, and organizational impact. She was actively involved in the arts and music promotion throughout high school—painting a mural, having a piece selected for a regional arts showcase, and helping her many musical friends promote their shows. Today, she works for Razor Consulting Solutions and Razor Tracking in Fargo and continues to support local arts and history through volunteer service.
She has held multiple board roles within the HR community, including with FMHRA, NDSHRM, and as a co-organizer of DisruptHR. She currently serves on the boards of the Ransom County Historical Society Museum and the Fisher House Foundation, which provides support for Veteran families. Through both her professional work and personal advocacy, Rachel is dedicated to expanding access to meaningful arts experiences for people of all ages across the Valley City and Barnes County area.
Katrina Clements - Board Member
Bio/Pic Coming Soon
Cindy Ross - Board Member
Bio/Pic Coming Soon
