ArtsPartners Announces Sky Art Peoria 2026 Winning Artists, Including Student Division and Civic Center Selections
PEORIA, IL — ArtsPartners of Central Illinois is pleased to announce the winning artists selected for the 2026 Sky Art Peoria program, an initiative presented in partnership with Adams Outdoor Advertising that transforms local artwork into large-scale public installations throughout Greater Peoria.
Now in its eleventh year, Sky Art Peoria continues to celebrate the creativity, imagination, and artistic talent found throughout the region. This year’s program will feature nine billboards — the largest number in the program’s history — along with two large-scale vinyl installations inside the Peoria Civic Center’s Skylight Lobby.
Selected works represent a wide range of artistic styles and mediums, from illustration and printmaking to painting, digital art, photography, and mixed media. The 2026 program includes work by established professional artists, emerging creatives, and three student artists from Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties.
“When we launched Sky Art Peoria eleven years ago, I do not think any of us could have fully imagined how beloved this program would become,” said Dr. Mae Gilliland Wright, Executive Director of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois. “It is striking to drive through our community and suddenly encounter a massive work of local art. Sky Art Peoria is a reminder of the creativity that exists here every day. Whether it is the work of a nationally exhibited artist, a local working creative, or a student seeing their artwork displayed publicly for the first time, Sky Art Peoria reflects the vibrancy and imagination of our Greater Peoria region.”
Gilliland Wright added that the continued partnership with Adams Outdoor Advertising has been central to the program’s growth and visibility throughout Greater Peoria.
“Adams has been such an extraordinary community partner over the years,” she said. “They understand that public art matters. These billboards transform everyday spaces into moments of inspiration, surprise, and community pride.”
Kimberly Thornton, Account Executive at Adams Outdoor, adds: “We are thrilled to celebrate eleven years of partnering with ArtsPartners for Sky Art, a program that gives local artists a larger-than-life platform to showcase their incredible work. Their creativity not only transforms our skyline but also brings vibrancy and inspiration to our community.”
The 2026 adult division billboard winners are:
- Cathie Crawford, Glimmer
- LNOR (Eleanor Gentry), Feed Me, Mother!
- Stacy Hall, You Don’t Have To Follow In Your Bloodline
- Liz Johnson, Senescence I & II
- Matthew Keltner-Smith, Mid Century Modern
- Peggy West, Flower Market
Three student artists were also selected for billboard installations:
- Reese Bair, Feeding Frenzy
- Elizabeth Jones, Dunquin Pier, April 2, 7:47 pm
- Joshua Marlow, There’s No Face to Fear
ArtsPartners is also continuing its partnership with the Peoria Civic Center, which debuted in 2025 and brought Sky Art Peoria installations indoors through large-scale vinyl wraps displayed in the venue’s Skylight Lobby.
The 2025 Skylight Lobby installations will remain on display, while two newly selected works will join them this year and be viewed by the hundreds of thousands of visitors who attend concerts, performances, conventions, sporting events, and community gatherings at the Civic Center annually.
The Peoria Civic Center’s involvement underscores a shared commitment to celebrating local artists in highly visible public spaces. Beau Sutherland, Assistant General Manager of the Peoria Civic Center, remarked:
“We are thrilled to welcome two additional Sky Art pieces to the Peoria Civic Center and showcase Patrick’s and Rashmi’s incredible talents with our guests,” said Sutherland. “The inaugural artwork selected from last year’s Sky Art contest has brought vibrant energy and inspiration to our venue, and visitors continue to share wonderful feedback about the impact these pieces make.”
The 2026 Peoria Civic Center selections are:
- Patrick Brennan, The River City (Adult Division)
- Rashmi Kannamalla, Be Different, Be You (Student Division)
Sky Art Peoria Committee Chair Everley Davis noted both the diversity of this year’s selected artists and the continued growth of the program throughout the region.
“We’re very excited for another year of showcasing the creativity of central Illinois artists throughout Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties, as well as inside the Peoria Civic Center,” said Davis. “Sky Art Peoria continues to elevate and celebrate a wide variety of artistic mediums and creative voices with the support of our incredible community sponsors.”
The winning billboard selections will be reproduced as 48’ x 14’ vinyl billboards displayed throughout Greater Peoria beginning this summer.
Program sponsors for the 2026 Sky Art Peoria program include: Bradley University; Fine Arts Society of Peoria; General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport; Joshua D. Herman and Miller, Hall & Triggs; MUIR Omni Graphics; O’Shea Builders; RLI Corp.; and OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.
The public is invited to learn more about this year’s winning artists and selections at https://artspartners.net/skyartpeoria/class-of-2026/.
