City of Peoria Arts & Culture

Arts and Culture in Peoria The history of the City of Peoria’s Arts and Culture program goes back to the 1987 creation of the Peoria Arts Commission and the Percent for the Arts Program by Peoria City Council. Since that time funding for the public art program has come from a one-percent contribution from each of the City’s capital improvement projects. The Peoria Arts Grant program was created in 1998 to help promote the arts in the community. The grant program provides various funding to local arts organizations for programming in Peoria. The program is regularly modified to meet the needs of the community and is monitored to evaluate program impact. The program helps to support local arts organizations as well as attract programming from around the Phoenix region to Peoria. In Fiscal Year 2026, 42 Arts and Culture grants were awarded, totaling $300,000. In 2007, the city unveiled the new Peoria Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Peoria. The city and community have many diverse and ambitious goals for their cultural programs. In 2009, an Arts Master Plan was created that sought to align the goals into a specific set of recommendations, which provided overarching, holistic policy direction. In 2022, a new Arts & Culture Plan was approved by the Peoria City Council and provides direction of Peoria's Arts and Culture programming into the future. The plan’s vision defines that the arts in Peoria support a vibrant cultural community that is accessible, inclusive, and inspiring for all. Public Art in Peoria Public art enriches the quality of life for residents and visitors by creating spaces that are inviting and interesting. Community is strengthened by fostering cultural opportunities to engage artists and the public, through a variety of events, public art, and arts and culture programming. Peoria residents are encouraged to participate in building such a community that reflects the voice and heritage of Peoria. The Peoria Arts & Culture Commission oversees Peoria’s public art program. The seven-member commission made up of Peoria residents make recommendations to the City Council on a variety of topics in arts and culture that directly benefit the livability initiatives for the city and its residents. The livability goals for the city were adopted by the City Council included in the General Plan 2040. These goals guide the Peoria Arts and Culture Commission in seeking out public art opportunities that enhance the quality of life and create a destination that is uniquely Peoria. The public art collection is on display throughout the city in public parks, other accessible public spaces and municipal buildings such as the Peoria City Hall and the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. Funding for art projects comes from the city’s capital improvement projects (streets, parks, fire stations, etc.) which contribute one percent of the total cost of the projects into a dedicated arts fund. The arts fund is then used for acquiring public art.