Sheila M. Smith has been Minnesota Citizens for the Arts' Executive Director since 1996. She was a leader in the 2008 “Vote Yes” campaign, passing a Minnesota state constitutional amendment to create 25 years of dedicated funding for the arts and environment. Smith has been Chair of the State Arts Action League, part of Americans for the Arts, and was recipient of the 2009 Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award, which honors an individual who has dramatically affected the political landscape through arts advocacy efforts at the state level.
