Events Calendar

It’s our 62nd year for bringing original art to central Illinois and we want you to be a part of the celebration!
As one of the oldest art events in the country, the Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair is nationally recognized for its organization, event marketing, and for putting artists’ needs at the top of the priority list. We offer affordable hotel rates, convenient artist parking, “grab ‘n go” breakfasts each morning, boxed lunches,Saturday Artist Award Party, snacks in the Artist Breakroom, cold water and hot coffee, along with 200 enthusiastic volunteers to take care of any artist need.
We were voted #41 in the Top Art Fairs in the Midwest by Sunshine Magazine in 2023!

The Foster Gallery is excited to present “Imperfect Pears” by Betina Flemming with special guest artist Ann Klungseth.

This exhibition is a teacher’s reflection on the unique complexities of students who have passed through her class. Each of the ninety-seven distinctly painted pears in the show represents people, relationships, or cherished memories.

Reception: Friday, May 3, 5-8 PM
Live Music

Exhibition Dates: May 1 – May 26

Gallery Hours:
Sundays 8:30 AM-NOON
Monday through Friday – 9 AM – 1 PM
Other showings by appointment.

For additional information, call (309) 673-3641 or email [email protected].

Peoria Historical Society 60th Annual Rennick Art Show
The Old and the New: Envisioning Peoria History in New Ways
Variable Times
For more information, visit peoriahistoricalsociety.org or 309tix.com.

May exhibition in the Main Gallery at the Peoria Art Guild

Exhibition Statement:

Macrocosm, a collaborative exhibition by artists Jan Brandt, Kelly Hieronymus Whiting, and Krystal Kay Lyon, speaks to the wonderment of exploration, travel, observation, and connection to our surroundings.

Brandt’s lushly dense, botanically inspired fiber sculptures are installed on the wall in prolific color groupings reminiscent of seasonal changes. Hand cut, formed, and stitched, using many up-cycled components, these layered compositions offer a dimensional contrast to Whiting’s flatter, geometrically strong, topographically inspired woven “rugs” on the floor. The scale between Brandt’s overgrown sculptures and Whiting landscape paintings stretches the veil between big and small… a sense of vastness and connection to all things. Whiting’s work is tethered to the real world as it is inspired by her time traveling by air and car.

Krystal Kay Lyon provides woven, circular forms that fashion into large, human-like sculptures. These personas inhabit the world Brandt and Whiting have created. Playing with scale, Lyon’s work questions the interplay and importance between people and their surroundings. Viewers may perceive Lyon’s sculptures as stand-ins for themselves, or as an invitation to go deeper into the installation, to join Lyon’s sculptures to decipher the other artist’s visual decision-making.

This installation is meant to challenge the viewer’s perspective, as it would be challenged standing on the edge of a mountain. Perspectival changes in the installation lead the eye to look up, down, and around. Just as technology allows one to zoom in and out on a location, we intend to provide an immersive experience, sometimes literal, sometimes not, changing the gallery space into an adventure in discovery.

May exhibition in the Project Space Gallery at the Peoria Art Guild.

Exhibition statement:
Reaching is the Bradley University Photography Senior Capstone exhibition showcasing work from artists Chrissy Boisvert, Dasha Duffy, Robert Morin, and Kristen Valley. While each artists’ mediums and subjects differ, they all share similar examinations of reaching for connection, understanding, and remembrance. Boisvert’s series features self portraits printed on interactive three-dimensional objects that the viewer can touch, wear, look through, and manipulate, breaking the barrier that usually stands between art and the observer.

Just as the viewer desires to reach out and touch the art, the art desires to reach out and touch the viewer back. Morin’s imagery sheds light onto the ephemeral nature of memories and the subconscious. Imagery coupled with an auditory experience explores discomfort, inner tension, uncertainty, and remembrance, seeking to deepen our understanding of the psyche. The imaginative nature of this series is discovered instead of captured. In the broader context of this exploration, Robert unearths inner trials and fluctuating emotions from both the past and the present. Duffy’s series represents universal experiences such as grief, love, and new adventures through collages of personal objects and recognizable iconography paired with inspirational phrases that can resonate with the viewer’s own experiences. Valley’s series highlights the connection between location and memories, using images collected over the last four years to show how memories breathe life into the spaces in which they were created. Overall, this exhibition investigates the impermanence of time, the lasting impressions of memory, and the barriers that inhibit connection.

“Selections and Stories”, An Exhibit of Architectural Drawings.

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation’s creation of an Architectural Archive. To celebrate this milestone, the Archives Committee will be hosting an exhibit of architectural drawings and ephemera from its collection. The exhibit will take place May 4th through June 28th at the Peoria Public Library, 107 NE Monroe, Main Library Gallery during regular library hours. The committee extends an invitation to you to join us for an opening reception on Saturday, May 11th from 2:00 to 4:00pm. Make sure to mark your calendar for this event.
The committee has selected items showcasing Peoria’s rich architectural history. The display ranges from buildings we see every day to ones we have lost to history that now only live through photographs and documents. Take some time and stop by the library during May and June to see some of our treasures.
The archive was established in 1984 with a gift of 66 boxes of building plans from Paul Strehlow of the recently closed V. Jobst & Sons, building contractors. The collection has grown to an estimated 28,000 sheets of drawings representing 2,850 projects. The emphasis of the collection ranges from the work of architects that practiced in Peoria as well as central Illinois buildings done by architects from other cities. The scope of the collection includes residential, commercial, religious, industrial and institutional projects. Works by Frederic J. Klein, L. Eugene Robinson, John Hackler and Company, Lankton, Ziegele, Terry, among others, will be represented in the exhibit.
Items in the collection include original drawings, blueprints, specifications, photos, books, architectural and trade periodicals, office records and watercolor presentation drawings. These items date from the late 19th century to the 1980s.
The archives are located at the Peoria Public Library, main branch. The collection is not open to the public, but by appointment only. Anyone with inquiries or who would like to donate items to the archive may contact Tim Hartneck at [email protected]
The Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation is a volunteer, non-profit 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to historic preservation. Visit our website at www.cilfpeoria.org to become a member.

Art and Music in the Garden is a festival that aims to celebrate the art and music of Peoria while bringing people together in a wonderful space maintained by our Park District. The event will take place on October 6th 2024 and will be open from 10am until 5pm. If your application is accepted there will be a $25 vendor fee to help cover costs. All vendors will keep 100% of sales.

This event is open to arts and crafts of all kinds. If you’re interested but not sure that your work is right for this event please apply anyway!

You will need to provide your own tables, chairs and displays. Spaces will assigned first come first serve on the day of the event. If you’re not familiar with Luthy Botanical Garden I definitely recommend checking it out beforehand. There is plenty of room to get creative!

Submissions are open until August 2nd. I will respond to applications as they are sent in and will have final responses out before September.

Please email [email protected] with any additional questions.

learn to create tangles and beautiful art.

Paint n Draw open studios is led by George Weers the current set up is a Plein Air experience while the weather is nice meaning each week the location of the open studio changes to find out more information about this please contact George Weers via email at [email protected]

During this program for children 1 to 4 years of age and their grown-ups, children develop language, small motor skills, and social skills while engaging in hands-on exploration. Each class includes songs and musical instruments, a read-aloud story, time for play, and a visual art activity. Look for a different theme each week!

Cost (children only; no additional cost for adults accompanying children): $5 for members, $7 for non-members. Fee does not include the cost for museum admission.

Program Plus PlayHouse Admission for the Day (non-members only): $17 per child and $10 per adult.

This program has been made possible by a grant from OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

In this class we will create a “trail” which will travel thru 4 separate pieces, making a cohesive series you can frame and hang on your wall! NO painting experience needed 😉
Location: Art Korner – 395 Old Germantown Rd – Germantown Hills, IL
$30 covers all materials. Please reserve your seat in advance, Limited seating.

Peoria-area artists are invited to this two-hour social event held the 4th Wednesday of every month. Bring your own beverage and come connect with other visual artists. Enter by the door on the east end of the building facing War Memorial Drive.

During this program for children 1 to 4 years of age and their grown-ups, children develop language, small motor skills, and social skills while engaging in hands-on exploration. Each class includes songs and musical instruments, a read-aloud story, time for play, and a visual art activity. Look for a different theme each week!

Cost (children only; no additional cost for adults accompanying children): $5 for members, $7 for non-members. Fee does not include the cost for museum admission.

Program Plus PlayHouse Admission for the Day (non-members only): $17 per child and $10 per adult.

This program has been made possible by a grant from OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Metals Open Studio
Every Thursday 10-2 & First Saturday of the month 10-2.
Free for PAG members. $5 for non-members.

Back for another round, it’s an event favorite! Join Peoria Players for Trivia Night, which will be held on Thursday, May 23 once again at Pour Bros. Taproom in Peoria Heights. Also come for dinner and order food from Slow Hand Craft BBQ. Peoria Players will receive a percentage of food and drinks sales.

This musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (and the popular 1985 Steven Spielberg film) spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years forms the arc of this epic story. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life. It premiered at the Alliance Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia and opened on Broadway on November 1, 2005, where it was nominated for eleven 2006 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score. The London off-West End production moved to Broadway in 2015, winning the Tony Award® for Best Revival of a Musical.

Peoria Modern: An Era of Unforgettable Optimism

The mid-century modern design and architecture of Peoria will be the focus of a guided Peoria Historical Society bus tour on Friday, May 24. Architect Ed Barry of Farnsworth Group will lead the tour entitled “Peoria Modern • An Era of Unforgettable Optimism” from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Come create art with us!

Join us each week to explore how illustrators bring imagination to life through various artistic processes. Each month features a different theme.

May’s theme is Pencil Art!

This program has been made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Central Illinois and is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Live Music – Dorann’s music is as hot as ever with new some band members. Many varieties of music are covered: Motown, Oldies, Jazz, Blues, R&B, and Funk all with that special mystical flair. Dorann will get you up on your feet with her amazing infectious energy.

RATING: R (language, adult themes)
Presented by Playing In Peoria, COMEDY @ The Waterhouse continues with VINCE CARONE
The show will be hosted by Playing in Peoria owner ANDREW FARRAHER with opening act(s) announced soon!
VINCE CARONE, known as the “Bad Father” is fast-talking, frenetic, and frustrated. He has a quick-witted, fast-paced style that envelops you with an avalanche of punchlines that never stop. He has been seen on Comedy Central and TBS, and heard on Mancow in the Morning and WGN. He has released 6 hour-long comedy albums, runs a podcast called “Peek Behind the Curtain”, and was the winner of the 2019 “Best of the Midwest” Competition at Gilda’s Laughfest. Check out videos of VINCE at https://www.vincecarone.com/media
Admission is $25pp and seating is reserved. The bar will open and seating will begin 1 hour before the show at 7p with the show starting at 8p. The show will last approximately 90 minutes.

Saturday, 5/25/2024
Time: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Price: $40 WPP members | $50 nonmembers
Schedule (subject to change and the instructor’s discretion):
1 hr lecture – in Log Room
1-2 hr shoot throughout the Park
Lunch
1-2 hrs Critique Images
Don’t forget to bring lunch!

This workshop will take place indoors and outdoors. Please dress for the weather and bring water to properly hydrate throughout the day.
DEFINITION YOUR SUBJECT MATTER IS ACTIVE.
Learn tried-and-true techniques for capturing action photography from professional photographer, Mike Boatman. This workshop not only offers a wonderful opportunity to photograph cougars and birds, but your chance to learn specialized techniques for action photography. These techniques can be used regardless of the active subject matter, sports, automobiles and motorcycles or something as active and unpredictable as your toddler. Workshop participants will have an amazing chance to capture some incredible wildlife photos.

Special Photography Shoots: The Animal Keepers have some tricks up their sleeves to generate activity with the cougars. The photography workshop is going to be allowed to get into position before the cougars are released into their environment. This is going to be a great opportunity to capture incredible photographs of active cougars.
Followed by a little slower pace of photographing some of the birds outside in a natural setting on perches.

The following equipment is suggested for the cougars but not mandatory.
Monopod
Long telephoto lens with a lens hood suggested 200mm or longer, 300 to 500 would be fabulous.

If you’re bringing a point-and shoot that has a built-in telephoto lens that will be adequate.

MORE DETAILS: https://wildlifeprairiepark.org/mike-boatman-photography-classes/

TICKETS: https://sales.wildlifeprairiepark.org/Performance.aspx?pid=10290&cal=https://sales.wildlifeprairiepark.org:443/calendar.aspx

The Wheels O’ Time Museum blacksmithing shop is located in the Farm Building and operates
every second and fourth Saturday of the month from May to October.
From May through October, our resident blacksmith, sometimes with a few assistants, is on site every second and fourth Saturday of the month between noon and 4 pm. Children love to stop there, watch him fire, pound, twist and bend metal to create all kinds of intricate tools and gadgets. They often go home with a small iron token, a masterpiece forged just for them! Fun for all ages! Come, ask questions, learn about blacksmithing. This is always a free event with your membership or admission ticket.

The beautifully restored and maintained 1931 Ahrens-Fox firetruck is a piece of Peoria’s History! You can come to the museum and ride it by scheduling your family or group while you visit.
RIDE A PIECE OF PEORIA HISTORY! Family rides in the 1931 Ahrens Fox fire truck. The rides are included with museum admission ticket or with your membership.
Ride the beautifully restored 1931 Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine – an amazing piece of Peoria history! This spectacular truck accommodates six to eight people and will run two to three times per hour. Schedule your group during your visit at the museum.
Bring your camera and we will take your picture! What an adventure this will be!
Donations from riders for maintenance of this beautiful fire truck will be appreciated.

A patriotic concert celebration to anchor Memorial Day Weekend in the best way. Featuring American masterworks by George Gershwin and Morton Gould, this evening will be packed with both fun and inspiration. Color Guard, American Salute, An American in Paris, Pops Hoedown, and Rhapsody in Blue, played by brilliant young American pianist Llewellyn Werner-Sanchez – plus Sousa’s Stars & Stripes, conducted by the HFO’s “Guest Celebrity Maestro”.

Paint n Draw open studios is led by George Weers the current set up is a Plein Air experience while the weather is nice meaning each week the location of the open studio changes to find out more information about this please contact George Weers via email at [email protected]

During this program for children 1 to 4 years of age and their grown-ups, children develop language, small motor skills, and social skills while engaging in hands-on exploration. Each class includes songs and musical instruments, a read-aloud story, time for play, and a visual art activity. Look for a different theme each week!

Cost (children only; no additional cost for adults accompanying children): $5 for members, $7 for non-members. Fee does not include the cost for museum admission.

Program Plus PlayHouse Admission for the Day (non-members only): $17 per child and $10 per adult.

This program has been made possible by a grant from OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.