Staff

Will Law joined Artspace in 1992 and has worked in property development, asset management, consulting, and financial management. Among the major projects for which he has had primary responsibility are the Tilsner Artists’ Cooperative in Saint Paul, the Washington Studios in Duluth, the Riverside Artist Lofts in Reno, and El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 in New York.

As President, Mr. Law is a member of Artspace’s senior management team and is responsible for overseeing the organization’s day-to-day operations. Mr. Law graduated from the Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science.

Tionenji Aiken (Tio Aiken) is the Chief Communications Officer for Artspace Projects Inc. Recruited to Artspace in 2016 as the Communications Manager, Aiken has slowly shifted the Artspace brand to focus on multi-format storytelling with a deep desire to highlight the intersectionality of Artspace's diverse residential communities and partnerships nationwide. In 2017, Aiken became the Director of Communications. She also became the Program Director for the Rafala Green Fellowship program, a two-year fellowship that promotes equity and inclusion in non-profit real-estate by training the next generation of POCI emerging leaders working at the intersection of arts, real-estate, and community development, funded by the Ford Foundation.

Outside of her formal roles at Artspace, Aiken is a practicing poet and a champion of anyone using their creative expression to make space in the world for positive change. She currently sits on the advisory boards of Made Here MN and Giant Steps MN, and the Board of Directors for the Twin Cities Jazzfest.

She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and holds a BA., in Cultural Studies, Comparative Literature, and Media Studies.

With over 30 years of financial expertise, Beth Chalmers serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Artspace Projects. Passionate about the arts and social impact, Beth leads financial operations and strategic planning for the nonprofit organization dedicated to creating affordable spaces for artists and arts organizations.

Beth is a seasoned Finance and Human Resources strategist with a rich background spanning diverse industries including public accounting, manufacturing, banking, consulting, housing, and the nonprofit sector. She also manages Artspace’s Human Resources and IT functions, further strengthening the organization’s operational infrastructure. Prior to Artspace, Beth directed financial operations at People Serving People, focusing on supporting homeless families. Her career has been marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to driving organizational success through sound financial management, strategic HR initiatives, and technology oversight.

Beth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and is dedicated to leveraging financial strategies to support arts communities. She is excited to continue her journey with Artspace Projects and looks forward to collaborating with the team to make impactful contributions to the arts landscape.

Freddie, despite all attempts, has been able to skillfully evade his colleagues and refuses to write a bio of himself. It's okay, Freddie. We've got your back.   

Here is what we know: 

• He wears, on occasion, an amazing (and massive) Russian fur hat given to him by his fantastic wife. 
• His sense of humor is so intact that he manages to play verbal defense in a way that would shock a politician.
• In 2009, Freddie started exploring the real estate business and began working for Artspace leading the Performance Property team. 
• In his spare time, Freddie likes to drink pink ladies while hanging out with his friends; enjoys making people laugh; go on bike rides in the rain; and read science fiction books while soaking in a bubble bath. Just kidding. Well, everything except the making people laugh part. His good nature is contagious.

Freddie is our talented President of Performance Property, and we are so fortunate to have him taking care of myriad things at our properties. Rock on, Freddie. 

As Chief Asset Officer, Steve collaborates closely with leadership and staff to oversee Artspace’s LIHTC and Historic Credit projects. With the asset team, he is redesigning Artspace’s project evaluation framework to ensure properties maximize eligible rental income while identifying opportunities for expense reductions. In the coming years, the team will reassess each project to determine its optimal path forward—including potential sales or dispositions. In today’s evolving affordable housing landscape, Steve emphasizes adaptability, innovation, and creative problem-solving to navigate challenges.

Before joining Artspace, Steve built a diverse career in public accounting, real estate development (spanning both LIHTC and market-rate properties), brokerage, mortgage lending, and business management. With experience managing projects nationwide, he brings a multifaceted perspective to his role. Steve holds a B.A. in Accounting from Iowa Wesleyan University.

Nu Lee joined Artspace Project’s Performance Property Management Company team in May 2011 after graduating from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul with a BA in Accounting. Nu is Bookkeeper for several of Artspace’s real estate commercial and residential properties locally and regionally. She performs regular accounting duties, prepares monthly financial statements, and conducts regular accounting audits.

Nu brings a sense of enthusiasm to the Finance team, as well as an attention to detail that is necessary for her position. Her previous work experience varies from providing administrative support at the Department of Natural Resources; extensive customer service at the House of Wong family restaurant; and peer tutoring at St. Paul Public School’s Bruce F. Vento Elementary.

When she is not working, she cooks for big family parties, keeps the house polished, and enjoys scrapbooks and photography.

Shaela Wilson graduated from the Academy of Design and Technology, Chicago, in 2004. She then began to freelance while pursuing her dream of owning her own FedEx Kinkos. Shortly after that idea was born-- and after giving birth to two dance machine, lip gloss-popping divas; and after reading “The Secret”-- she began working at Artspace Projects in 2010. From making coffee and scheduling appointments to drawing up leases and managing the Artspace database, Shaela puts her awesome multi-tasking skills to work at Artspace daily. She is not limited to being the Queen of the front desk, however-- she was also MVP of the Minneapolis Pee Wee League Championship game in 1991.

In her free time, she likes to draw, spend time with her two lovely daughters, watch popcorn pop in the microwave,  watch the exercise channel while eating that butter-soaked popcorn from the couch.

Pace Winkels (He/Him) joined Artspace in 2022 as the National Advancement Manager.  The son of a musician and costume designer, Pace has been steeped in the Minneapolis artist community and understands the importance of fostering and housing the arts across the globe.  After receiving his BA in writing for TV and Film at DePaul University,  Pace returned home to Minneapolis and began work at an accessibility company, creating audio description for television and film.



When he's not working, Pace enjoys a wide variety of horror films and is an avid practitioner of Muay Thai. He's also the father to the light of his life - his pitbull, Imelda Mae.

Jean Kramer-Johnson first joined the Artspace family remotely coordinating staff travel from her Montana home. In 2002, Jean moved back to her hometown of Minneapolis, and was offered the position of Executive Assistant to the President. Three years later, Jean joined the Asset Management team and now leads Artspace’s commercial leasing operations. Jean is also the point of contact supporting new project lease up efforts and continues to serve as travel consultant to Artspace staff.

When not working, Jean loves to camp, ski, and go on long walks with her husband and her dog, Mayla Belle.

Andrew Michaelson has more than 10 years of experience in the field of affordable housing. He began his career with Artspace as an intern in 2006, and is now Director of Property Development. He played a key role in the development of the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, and is currently team lead for the Pullman Artspace Lofts in Chicago and the Space to Create Colorado initiative. He has extensive experience in historic adaptive reuse, including the rehabilitation and conversion of former cavalry buildings at Fort Snelling into supportive housing for homeless veterans and their families (a project he completed as a Senior Project Manager for CommonBond Communities).

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Forensic Science Certificate from Hamline University, and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law).

Andrew is a Minneapolis native, and currently resides in the Fulton neighborhood with his wife and two young daughters. He plays drums in his spare time, dabbles in home brewing, and enjoys tinkering in his basement workshop.

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Becky Carlson St. Clair joined Artspace in 2011. She played a key role in the development of projects in Minot, ND; Dearborn, MI; Hastings, MN and Minneapolis, MN and is currently leading the development of SOMO Artspace Lofts, Artspace Utica Lofts, and the NKB Residential Project. Prior to joining Artspace, Becky worked for five years at Somerset Development Company, an affordable housing development company in Washington, D.C. Before moving into real estate development, she worked for two years as a cartographer at Syracuse University and at a custom cartography company in D.C. Becky has a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, a B.A. in Geography from the Maxwell School of Citizenship, and a B.A. in Spanish from Syracuse University. Becky lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two boys.

Sarah Swingley joined Artspace in 2011, serving in Artspace’s Property Development division for over a decade. Sarah oversees a number of financial processes for Artspace, from financing applications to managing the successful closings of projects, thereby launching new construction in Artspace’s pipeline. Sarah also administers construction draws for projects across the portfolio, and had significant responsibilities advancing developments in Elgin, IL; Waukegan, IL; Hamilton, OH; and El Paso, TX—enabling 184 new units of affordable housing for artists and their families. Previously, Sarah was Senior Mutual Fund Accountant at First American Funds. She holds a Master of Urban & Regional Planning degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. In her free time, Sarah stays busy with her three very active children. She enjoys home improvement projects, exploring parks and playgrounds, geocaching, kayaking, and hitting the pool. She is also a candy addict.