state arts action network

Council

Sheila Smith

Sheila M. Smith has been executive director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA) since 1996. She also recently served as a public policy consultant for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN), and is part of MCN's Public Policy Cabinet. Before joining MCA and MCN, Smith served as staff at the Minnesota State Senate and lobbied local governments for Continental Airlines in Houston, TX. Appointed by the governor in 2002 to the Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board, she is a member of the Friends of the State Capitol and volunteers for the Capitol 2005 Commission, which is organizing a 100th birthday celebration for the Minnesota State Capitol. Smith also serves on the Executive Committee of the Americans for the Arts State Arts Action Network. She received a master's degree in arts administration from St. Mary's University and has a B.A. in Shakespeare from St. Olaf College. She also teaches and lectures—both statewide and nationally—about the arts, grassroots advocacy, and other issues.