Patrick joined the staff of the South Dakota Arts Council in 2016, becoming the fourth executive director of the Council in the agency’s 50th anniversary year. Prior to joining the SDAC staff, Patrick served as the communications director for the S.D. Department of Human Services for over three years. He also served the state in 2012 as an election coordinator in the Secretary of State’s office.

A native of Pierre, S.D., Patrick holds a journalism degree from South Dakota State University and earned a graduate certificate in the S.D. Governor’s Leadership Development Program through the University of South Dakota in 2015. He worked for various newspapers in South Dakota, Arizona, and Minnesota as well as serving as the senior editor of a website magazine devoted to professional fishing prior to entering the field of public service in his home state.

Patrick has been active in the arts throughout his life, with a focus on music. He is a founding member of the band Houdek and is a member of Pierre Four, a men’s vocal quartet. He frequently performs in an acoustic trio called Bakers3 with his wife, Jennifer, with whom he also writes and records music. The Bakers also sing in a local church choir and are enjoying expanding the family musical experience to include their son, Jack, who plays keyboards and percussion in Houdek and Bakers3.

Sarah Carlson builds connections between artists, communities, and ideas. As Communications & Community Relations Coordinator for the South Dakota Arts Council, she leads the agency’s visual communications and storytelling strategy, co-manages the Art for State Buildings public art collection, facilitates more than 300 performing and teaching artist engagements annually, and oversees grant review processes that support creative work across the state.

Carlson brings more than 20 years of experience in advertising, fundraising, nonprofit leadership, and design, with a career centered on helping organizations communicate clearly and build meaningful community partnerships. She earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2023, was selected for Leadership South Dakota’s inaugural state government cohort in 2021, and was named the South Dakota CEO Women’s Business Center’s inaugural Enterprising Woman Intrapreneur in 2019.

Known for her strategic thinking, curiosity, and practical approach to collaboration, Carlson enjoys simplifying complex ideas and helping artists and organizations tell stories that invite people to participate, connect, and belong.

Kate oversees the fiscal management of federal arts funding and guides the development and implementation of grant programs across the state. Since 2020, she has led efforts to ensure grantmaking aligns with compliance standards and fulfills the agency’s mission to support the arts statewide.

From 2016 to 2019, Kate managed multiple state and federal grant programs, administered the Touring Arts Program, and provided training and support to applicants and grantees to improve program operations and accessibility.

Prior to her work in grant administration, she spent over a decade directing the design, production, and installation of museum exhibitions, managing creative teams, timelines, and budgets. Originally from southeast Michigan, Kate earned her degree in industrial design from Purdue University and has called Pierre, South Dakota home since 2002, where she lives along the river with her husband and Labrador retriever.

Holly joined the South Dakota Arts Council in December 2025 and brings five years of experience working in grants and financial administration.

Creativity has been a constant throughout Holly’s life. From an early age, she explored artistic interests through visual arts, music, and hands-on projects through 4-H. These experiences helped shape her appreciation for creativity and craftsmanship.

Holly graduated from Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, South Dakota, with a degree in Medical Laboratory Technology and spent many years working in the medical laboratory field. She also pursued training as an Emergency Medical Technician, continuing her commitment to helping others through healthcare.

After the loss of her son, Cooper, Holly began reflecting on a new direction beyond the medical field. During this time, she was part of a group that opened an antique and eco-friendly shop focused on simpler living. After recognizing a need in the community, they later began offering art classes in their free time.

Today, Holly is rediscovering her love of pottery, a practice she first explored in high school. She is currently working toward building her own pottery studio and enjoys continuing to develop her skills at the wheel. Her own experience as an artist continues to shape the way she supports and connects with artists across South Dakota.

Annie is a consultant in folklore, cultural programming, and fundraising. Annie currently consults part-time for the South Dakota Traditional Arts program of the South Dakota Arts Council as well as for cultural organizations nationwide. At SDAC, she administers the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant, conducts fieldwork of South Dakota’s cultural communities and manages the traveling exhibit, “Continuing our Heritage.” Annie has 30 years of experience in public folklore, fundraising and arts administration in the American West. Her work includes creating programs that support traditional arts through events, exhibits and documentaries (Dutch Hop! aired on PBS 2020-2023) and developing collaborations to provide services to artists, organizations, and general audiences. She has a MA in American Studies/Folklore from Utah State University and a BA in Anthropology from Oberlin College.  She serves as a trustee for the Western Folklife Center, the producer of the National Cowboy Society, and is a member of the Journey Museum’s development committee. She served as a Trustee with the Laramie County Library Foundation, serving as Chair during a successful $2 million capital campaign. When not participating in cultural activities, she enjoys mahjong, catching up with friends and searching out the best food truck experience.

Ann grew up in rural South Dakota, and after living in other states for several decades, returned to her hometown, Brookings. She received her doctorate in English from the University of Kansas (KU), where she focused on poetry.

During her studies at KU, she initiated a poetry lecture series that brought in speakers such as the then-Poet Laureate of the United States, Ted Kooser, and the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Dana Gioia. After KU, Ann attended multiple poetry workshops, such as the West Chester University Poetry Conference and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and she won the WICE Paris Writers’ Workshop 2016 poetry award.  
 
Most recently, Ann served as the Executive Director of the South Dakota Humanities Council, where she emphasized broadening opportunities, both geographically and demographically, to all corners of the state.   

Currently Ann finds joy and challenge in restoring her grandparents’ farmstead, where she appreciates finding treasures like her grandmother’s 1930s Valentine’s Day cards while wishing she knew how to use power saws. She intends to preserve the farmstead’s original artistic and structural features while addressing 21st century sustainability and profitability needs. 

Ariadne (Ari) Albright, MFA is a painter and arts-in-health consultant working across healthcare, academic, community, and correctional settings. She designs arts-based programs that center personal expression, resilience, and artist-led collaboration, with a current emphasis on working alongside incarcerated individuals.  

From 2013–2025, she coordinated arts programming at Sanford Health in Vermillion, SD and from 2016–2026 developed and taught arts-in-health curriculum there at the University of South Dakota. She was awarded the CDC Arts & Vaccine Confidence Grant (2023) and received the Teaching Artist Guild Service Award (2024). She contributed to the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) Core Curriculum, Code of Ethics, and Standards as a founding board member (2016–2022). Her books, Creative Care: An Artist in Healthcare and Creative Care: Projects, support creatives entering the arts-in-health field.