Dawn Bentley, MNM, MBA, CSM

Executive Director

Dawn joined Fringe in April 2017 with a leadership expertise focused on navigating strategic vision to achieve greatest potential. In her previous position as the first Executive Director of Art Shanty Projects, she was charged with creating infrastructure and establishing improved outcomes in all key functional areas. Dawn is an arts aficionado and has played violin for over 30 years in various ensembles from rock bands to professional orchestras with a dozen recordings in her repertoire. She holds Masters degrees in Nonprofit Management and Business Administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.

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Ariel Pinkerton

Community Liaison

Ariel Pinkerton is an actress, lighting designer and storyteller who has been part of the Minnesota Fringe since 1999. She has served as an artist, volunteer, front of house staff member and enthusiastic audience and will not hesitate to share her love of our festival with you. She is Co-Artistic Director of Fortune's Fool Theatre and a company member of Ghoulish Delights and Freshwater Theatre she is also the Co-owner of the Hard Times Cafe, located in the heart of Fringe territory. 

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Amber Bjork

Office Manager / Artist Liaison

Amber has spent several years acting, directing, writing, and producing as a Fringe artist before joining the staff as Office Manager and Artist Liaison in 2014. In her time outside of the office, she is a freelance artist and serves as the founding member of The Winding Sheet Outfit. She is a graduate of University of Minnesota-Duluth with a degree in English Lit and Dramatic Theory.

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Felicia Cooper

Director of Audience & Volunteer Engagement

Felicia joins Fringe with eight years experience in community art and engagement and is thrilled to be part of the passionate team at Fringe. She is a listener of stories, an organizer of calendars, and a dedicated people person. She holds an MFA from the University of Connecticut and has held artistic residencies at the Bell Museum, Winterthur, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, and more. When Felicia isn't fringing, she can be found covered in paper mache as a proud member of Minneapolis's puppetry community, or riding her bike, often to a museum.

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Mitchell Frazier

Technical Director

Mitchell joined the Fringe team in in the run-up to the 2022 Festival. Mitchell has worked with Fringe for several years as a theater technician and, with more than 30 years of experience, he is an awesom addtion to the team. Mitchell has a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and an orange belt in aikido. In his free time you might find Mitchell at a variety of theaters around town, lighting, directing, or acting in a show.

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