Peoria-Area Community Impact Guide 2022-2023

PEORIA ART GUILD Founded in 1878, the Peoria Art Guild presents a diverse array of fine and contemporary art. We strive to inspire and educate all levels of art enthusiasts through the Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, Sculpture Walk Peoria, exhibitions, classes, outreach and collaborative art initiatives.

203 Harrison Street Peoria, IL 61602 Phone: (309) 637-2787 Email: info@peoriaartguild.org Website : peoriaartguild.org Facebook : @PeoriaArtGuild Twitter : @PeoriaArtGuild Instagram : @peoria.art.guild

KEY STAFF: Shannon Cox, Executive Director and Co-Director of the Fine Art Fair Nikki Wheeler, Director of Education and

Co-Director of the Fine Art Fair Hattie Lee, Gallery Administrator BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Carol Rapp, President Jim Burwitz, Vice President Alexandria Lamprecht, Treasurer Vicki Carney, Secretary Misty Barnes Carolina Huser Andrew Ngui Dr. Elsburgh Clarke Cheryl Peacock Gary Rafool Rich Zuckerman DeMarcus Hamilton

VISION In addition to host ing the Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair each September, and now Sculpture Walk Peoria, the Peoria Art Guild is dedicated to in creasing awareness

their education in the arts. This program is fully funded by PNC Bank, allowing the apprentices to attend tuition-free. We are very excited to bring this program to our community! Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair – This year is our 60th annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, and we are excited to bring 130 artists to the Peoria Riverfront. The Fair includes a mix of all media, showcasing both local and nationally-known artists. We are committed to showcasing a wide variety of art and artists to attract more people to our city. In addition, combining a range of visual arts andmusical performances at the Fair is important not only to the Peoria Art Guild, but to the other art organizations in the area that we are proud to include. The local economic impact of the 2021 Fine Art Fair was $340,084 and brought 1800 overnight stays to Peoria over the weekend. Sculpture Walk Peoria - As of May 2022 Sculpture Walk Peoria (SWP) will now be hosted by the Peoria Art Guilds. SWP offers free guided tours to the community every Saturday from June through October at 10am and Noon. SWP is an bi-annual juried public art exhibit featuring eight large-scale sculptures placed alongWashington Street. UPCOMING EVENTS Art Classes Please visit peoriaartguild.org to see our ongoing list of class offerings. First Fridays First Friday of every month, 5-9 pm Peoria Art Guild Sculpture Walk Peoria Opening day, May 21, 2022 at the Peoria Riverfront Museum Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair September 24 & 25, 2022 Peoria Riverfront

of the arts in Central Illinois. We support our talented local artists by providing exhibit space and by promoting them through shows, sales and as instructors for our programs. WHAT WE DO Events and Exhibitions – Each month we feature exhibits in our gallery space, with a First Friday opening reception. Classes and Education – We take pride in offering a diverse selection of art classes for all ages at our facility, including but not limited to, painting, drawing, jewelry, ceramics, photography, sculpture, fiber arts and printmaking. Growing individual talents through classes and education is extremely important to us. The Peoria Art Guild provides financial scholarships for anyone who may not be able to afford tuition. In recent years the Peoria Art Guild initiated a free Community Arts program, which focuses on providing arts education and experiences to the underserved members of our community. Mentor Apprentice Program –Our Mentor Apprentice Program (MAP) is designed to give high-school age participants free hands-on artistic training with professionals in the field of visual arts. We select apprentices each year who are being exposed to a variety of mediums over several months of the program, working directly with local professional artists to build a portfolio for furthering

Kim Sanders Greg Rashid Jennie Hawkey Erin Sheckler

HOW TO HELP The Fine Art Fair is the largest communi ty event in Central Illinois that showcas es quality art, music, food, and hands-on art activities for kids and adults. It takes more than 200 volunteers throughout the weekend to make this event a suc cess. We are always looking for new volunteers, members for our planning committee and sponsors. The Guild works to collaborate with a wide variety of artists and arts organi zations, enhancing the programs and classes we offer. Gifted artists, with skills to teach to our community, are invited to contact us so we can continually provide new projects in the future.

peoriamagazine.com 77