Leadership
JOVAN C. SPELLER REBOLLAR, Executive Director, (she/her) brings more than 15 years of cross-sector leadership in the arts, nonprofit strategy, and cultural entrepreneurship. With a career spanning program development, organizational management, fundraising, and public engagement, Rebollar leads The Great Northern’s strategic direction, programming, and operations with a unified and impactful approach. An accomplished interdisciplinary artist as well as a seasoned administrator, she has built a dynamic career at the intersection of creative innovation and community impact. Rebollar’s leadership blends artistic insight with operational rigor. She is committed to building sustainable ecosystems that support creative entrepreneurship, champion cultural equity, and amplify the arts as a critical force in civic life. Her holistic perspective ensures The Great Northern thrives as both a premier arts and ideas festival and a platform for lasting cultural and environmental change.
Board of Directors
Eric Dayton, Board President
Cold
Maxine Bédat
New Standard Institute
Jothsna Harris
Change Narrative LLC
Carson Kipfer
Entrepreneur
Jennifer Newsom
Dream the Combine
Andrew Zimmern
Chef, Writer, & TV Host
Staff
Jasa McKenzie (she/her) joined The Great Northern team in 2022 and produces inspired public art installations, immersive music commissions, creative culinary collaborations, and outdoor experiences that speak to place, our common humanity, the power of the arts, and embrace nature in winter. Jasa is a curator–her work driven by issues of identity, equality, and social justice. After attaining a Bachelor’s in Studio Art from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, she completed her Master’s in Curatorial Practice from the School of Visual Art in New York. In addition her role at The Great Northern, she was on the team for the Hawai’i Biennial in Honolulu, Hawai’i (2025), documenta fifteen in Kassel, Germany (2022), Desert X in the Coachella Valley, California (2019, 2021), and Berlin Biennale 10 in Berlin, Germany (2018). She was the creator and co-host of SOTA: State of the Arts (2018-2020)–a podcast dissecting critical issues in contemporary art, along with SOTA Projects, which produced pop-up exhibitions and programming in the Twin Cities. She was the first-place recipient of the 2017-18 Apexart Exhibition Franchise Program, which resulted in the exhibition Absences in Nagoya, Japan (2018). She’s lived in five states and four countries, enthusiastically choosing to move back to Minneapolis. She practices art in her home studio and performs locally in an indie rock ensemble.
Brianna Low (she/her) leads marketing and sales strategy for The Great Northern, bringing more than a decade of experience in growth marketing, content strategy, and promotions. Before joining the team, she held roles at Visana Health, the Loft Literary Center, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). Having lived in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Brianna is a Midwest advocate and a season enjoyer. She’s passionate about partnering with community organizations, artists, leaders, and local businesses to celebrate and elevate the state and the region.
Charly Frisk (she/her) is a passionate climate advocate and strategic communicator committed to driving meaningful change. She holds a Master’s of Environmental Management from Yale School of the Environment and a dual degree in Environmental Studies and Peace Studies from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Originally from Colorado, she has fully embraced Minnesota’s winters and the deep sense of place that comes with them. With a background in environmental storytelling and movement-building, Charly uses film, events, and community engagement to spark conversations about climate resilience. At The Great Northern, she supports grant writing and fosters donor engagement.
Angel Akurienne (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and creative director originally from the Midwest by way of Lagos, Nigeria, now resides in Minneapolis, Mn. With a foundation in performance from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy New York, Angel integrates her stage expertise with her passion for activism, producing, and storytelling. A freelance Arts & Culture Journalist you can find her work in the MN Spokesman Recorder and The Great Northern’s blog. Her work “holds a mirror up to nature” and aims to craft narratives that are rich, diverse, and globally impactful. At The Great Northern’s Admin & Engagement Assistant, she helps foster community connections and supports festival operations