Jan McKay and Associates

Karin Schnell

Say Southern California and the Arts and Karin Schnell’s name is bound to come up. Karin has been involved in arts and arts education in a variety of capacities over the past 24 years, sharing her skills across Orange County and up and down the Coast.

Upon completion of her masters degree in Exhibition Design and Museum Studies, from California State University, Fullerton, Karin began her museum profession as Curator of Education at the Newport Harbor Art Museum (currently the Orange County Museum of Art) formulating the educational programming, interpretative materials, museum/school programs, and docent training methods. Karin is known for her experience in strategic planning for exhibits and for her innovative techniques in strengthening volunteer and docent programs through creative training and education.

This reputation landed her a prized spot as Director of Programs & Education for a nonprofit, countywide arts council, Arts Orange County in California. Many of the council’s arts festivals, programs and educational initiatives have been credited to Karin, who used her role to create synergies and useful organizational partnerships to better plan, prepare and support arts organizations and their staffs.

To assist organizations under her stewardship, Karin led a countywide Smithsonian Regional Workshop Program for educators, partnering with the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies and southern California museums, historical sites and zoos. This partnership and efforts netted the development of a Museum Education Resource Guide for the Arts which became a sister publication to the Arts Education Resource Guide offered for K-12 schools.  This guide helps administrators, educators and PTA members access the county’s rich cultural resources to complement their school-based arts programs.

For more than ten years, students at California State University, Fullerton, have known Karin as Professor Schnell. Karin serves as faculty in the Museums Studies certificate and graduate program where she teaches classes in museum education including exhibit interpretation and content development, docent management, and educational planning.  Karin has also shared her skills with students at the University of California, Irvine, where she teaches Arts Management for the Arts Administration Certificate program

Karin’s work with the Orange County Department of Education includes serving as a planning coach and facilitating strategic planning programs with school districts. As an offshoot of the arts education project, new local arts education advocacy networks are being formed throughout the state in partnership with the California Alliance for Arts Education and The Boeing Company.  Karin is the coordinator for the Capistrano Alliance for Arts Education in south Orange County, California.

Karin holds a Bachelors Degree in Arts Education and a Master Degree in Exhibition Design and Museum Studies.  She also holds a certificate in Decorative and Fine Arts Appraisal.   Her curatorial work includes the exhibition Orange County on Display and California Regionalists Paintings for the John Wayne Airport Arts Commission galleries. She recently assisted in exhibit design and docent training of the newly opened Nature Interpretative Center in Dana Point and she has held the position of Cultural Arts Coordinator for the city of Newport Beach, California.

When Karin isn’t working with students, museums or other cultural destinations, she is offering her skills as a volunteer.  She has served as Board President of Dana Point Coastal Arts and Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, where she led the building campaign with the City of Santa Ana for a new exhibition space.  She is currently Chair of the John Wayne Airport Arts Commission, an Orange County supervisor appointed position.  Karin resides in Dana Point, California.