Governor's Arts Awards - Nevada Arts Council

CANDY AND
SENATOR MIKE SCHNEIDER
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE ARTS
Candy Schneider has been a 24/7 'hands-on' arts advocate for more than three
decades - as an educator, administrator, trustee and spokesperson.An unassuming
supporter of the arts, Senator Mike Schneider has supported and created
legislation to increase public funding for the arts during his tenure at the Nevada
State Legislature. Both want creative communities, a robust economy and
an unparalleled educational system for Nevada, and see the arts as a key to
this vision.
As a board member for the Nevada Arts Council for 12 years and chair for five
years, Candy epitomized grace in leadership and service, whether advising on
policy development or working side by side with staff at dozens of grant panels.
She served as assistant director in the School-Community Partnership Program
for the Clark County School District, ensuring that students experienced the arts
both in and outside the classroom. Retiring from the school district after 33 years
of service, Candy moved her talents to the newly created position of Director of
Education and Outreach for The Smith Center for Performing Arts in Las Vegas.
She continues to build partnerships, develop model programs and contribute to
her community and state by serving on numerous boards including the Metro Arts
Council of Southern Nevada, Nevada Alliance for Arts Education,and VSA arts of
Nevada, among others.
Representing his Las Vegas district in the Nevada Assembly from 1993 - 1995 and
then in the Senate since 1997, Senator Mike Schneider may be quick to joke that
his association with the arts is culinary in nature, but don't be fooled. He can
explain the impact of the arts on a child's life, illustrate how corporations benefit
from arts-educated employees or state the case for cultural tourism as a practical
economic strategy. During the 2007 legislative session, Senator Schneider
sponsored a bill to increase the Nevada Arts Council's budget to a level of $1 per
citizen to expand programs and grants that serve the cultural needs of
communities statewide. His efforts helped galvanize a grassroots arts advocacy
movement and resulted in an increase to the Arts Council of $425,000 for
the biennium.