Articles & Press
February 2026 — Thred Magic Studio
Mentoring: Who were your teachers? Who are you teaching?
A reflection on the power of mentorship and creative community, this article looks back on Ellen Anne Eddy’s childhood memories of women’s sewing circles and the neighbor who first nurtured her artistic spirit. Through informal lessons in sewing, knitting, and making, Mary Annis became her first mentor—teaching not just skills, but confidence, curiosity, and the freedom to create without fear of imperfection. The piece explores how true creative growth comes from shared spaces, generous teachers, and safe environments that encourage trying, failing, and learning. Connecting past mentors to present opportunities, the author celebrates the Peoria Art Guild’s MAP Program, where a new generation of young artists can experience that same life-changing guidance.
MAY 2025 / 25 News Now
2nd Annual Chalk Art Competition attracts dozens of Peoria artists
25News Now
The Peoria Art Guild hosted its second annual Chalk Art Competition at the Shoppes at Grand Prairie, welcoming 37 artists of all ages for a full day of sidewalk creativity. Participants were given five hours to transform pre-assigned pavement squares into original works inspired by a “Summertime Fun” theme.
Artists competed in four divisions — ages 10 and under, ages 11-16, 17+, and professional artists — with cash prizes awarded to top entries. Building on the success of its inaugural year, the event continues to grow as a vibrant, famil-friendly celebration of community artmaking in Peoria.
MAY 2025 / WCBU
New initiative provides free arts education to central Illinois youth
The Art Without Boundaries program provides free arts education to youth under 18 throughout Central Illinois, helping remove financial and transportation barriers to creative learning.
FEBRUARY 2025 / WMBD
Community Yarn Bombing on Peoria’s Sculpture Walk
The Peoria Art Guild recently led a large-scale community yarn bombing of the Taylor Fawcett Totem sculpture along Washington Street as part of Peoria’s Sculpture Walk. The temporary installation wraps the sculpture in handcrafted yarn squares contributed by participants from across the country.
After issuing an open call for submissions, the Guild received an overwhelping response—including squares sent from as far away as New Mexico and New York. Hundreds of contributors participated, many sharing personal stories alongside their work. Some squares honored loved ones, while others marked meaningful connections between family members and the Peoria community.
The installation highlights yarn bombing as a non-invasive form of street art and reflects the Guild’s ongoing commitment to collaboration, accessibility, and creative placemaking.
September 2024 / pjstar.com
Art lovers gather for 62nd Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair on the riverfront
The Journal Star highlights the 62nd Annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, held along the Peoria Riverfront, showcasing artists from across the country. The feature captures the vibrant atmosphere of the weekend and sculpture to woodworking and fiber arts, and the strong engagement between artists and patrons.
Through photographs and artist spotlights, the article reflects the national reach of the Fine Art Fair and its continued role as a cornerstone cultural event in Central Illinois.
August 2024 / Macaronikid.com
Peoria Art Guild: Fostering Art and Community Engagement
This article explores the Peoria Art Guild’s long-standing role as one of the Midwest’s oldest arts organizations, founded in 1878. It highlights the Guild’s mission to “bring art to the community and the community to art” through comprehensive arts education, year-round exhibitions, and community-centered initiatives.
The Peoria Art Guild’s major programs include classes for all ages, outreach and therapeutic arts initiatives, the annual Fine Art Fair, and Scultpure Walk Peoria—while emphasizing the vital support of members, donors, and volunteers in sustaining its impact across Central Illinois.
December 2021 / CIproud.com
November 2021 / the pantagraph
Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair brings a $340,084 Economic Impact to Peoria
September 2021 / peoria journal star
RapPolitics: Fine Art Fair and Sophisticated Ratchet paint pour
September 2021 / wcbu
September 2021 / hoi abc
September 2021 / greg & dan show
September 2021 / CIproud.com
59th annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair offers all different forms and mediums
September 2021 / HOI ABC
august 2021 / week 25
Uruguayan artist painting a mural in Peoria’s Warehouse District
August 2021 / wcbu
Peoria Art Guild Welcomes Marisa Bernotti As Resident Artist
july 2021 / ciproud.com
july 2021 / Greg & Dan Show
june 2021 / hoi abc
may 2021 / peoria magazine
april 2021 / week 25
Celebrating water from a distance, a longtime tradition flows again
april 2021 / wcbu
The Peoria Art Guild Presents Bound Together: Cultural Patterns
FEBRUARY 2021 / wcbu
FEBRUARY 2021 / Interactiva STUDIOS
October 2020 / ciproud.com
Peoria Art Guild presents new exhibit featuring local Black artists
october 2020 / hOI abc
September 2020 / wcbu
‘Eyes Of Fire’ Exhibit Draws Attention To Local Firefighters
September 2020 / ciproud.com
September 2020 / The Greg and Dan Show
September 2020 / WCBU
August 2020 / Peoria journal star
July 2020 / good day central illinois
May 2020 / Peoria Magazine
April 2020 / Peoria Magazine
April 2020 / WCBU
Central Illinois Art Scene Upended by Virus
This article explores the sweeping impact of how the COVID-19 shutdown on Central Illinois artists and arts organizations, highlighting how gallery closures, canceled exhibitions, and postponed fundraisers disrupted both creative momentum and financial stability. Institutions such as the Peoria Art Guild, Contemporary Art Center, and emerging nonprofit spaces were forced to close just as many were expecting record participation and successful shows. Signature events like the Peoria Fine Art Fair and community initiatives such as the Big Picture Festival faced deep uncertainty, threatening vital revenue streams for local artists and nonprofits alike.
Through the voices of working artists, nonprofit leaders, and arts advocates, the piece captures a community grappling with sudden income, though not without challenges, while others focused on building inventory and adapting their practices for an uncertain future. At its heart, the story documents a pivotal moment for the regional arts scene—one marked by hardship, innovation, and a shared determination to endure.
January 2020 / HOI ABC
January 2020 / Peoria Journal Star
november 2019 / ciproud.com
First-ever female-identified metal artist celebration
The Peoria Art Guild partnered with Black Dog Metal Arts to bring the first-ever, historic iron pour run by female-identified artists in Peoria.
This all day event was a citywide celebration of women in the arts, showcasing these artists’ iron artwork in a bubbling, fiery performance of casting molten metal.
june 2019 / peoria journal star
may 2019 / peoria county chronicle
After Some Struggling Times, Peoria Art Guild Making a Comeback
April 2019 / community world
Federal data shows the arts and cultural sector contributed more than $763 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015—surpassing industried such as agriculture and transportation—with Illinois alone generating $25.9 billion and supporting more than 205,000 jobs. Local leaders note that Central Illinois arts organizations generate millions in economic activity and attract significant annual attendance.
Arts advocates argue that despite this measurable economic impact, the sector is often undervalues, underfunded, and underreported in the media. They emphasize the arts function not only as cultural enrichment but as economic drivers—stimulating tourism, local spending, workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, and long-term community prosperity.
January 2019 / Peoria Journal Star
January 2019 / Peoria Journal Star
December 2018 / Peoria Journal Star
September 2018 / Peoria county chronicle
Annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair Draws Participants From Around the Nation
The 56th Annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair brought 130 juried artists from across the country to the Peoria Riverfront, selected from nearly 280 applicants. One of the oldest and nationally ranked art fairs in the country, the three-day event typically attracts around 8,000 attendees and serves as the Guild’s primary annual fundraiser supporting community outreach and programming.
New additions included a Friday night riverfront opening celebration with live music, the launch of the “I Buy Art” initiative encouraging the purchase of original artwork, and expanded interactive experiences for both children and adults. The fair featured a wide range of mediums, an Emerging Artist spotlight, hands-on mural projects, family art activities, live performances, local arts organizations, and food vendors — reinforcing its role as a major cultural event in Central Illinois.
November 2018 / Peoria Journal Star
September 2018 / Explore Peoria
October 2014 / Sunshine Artist
The 100 Best Fine Art & Design Shows Revealed (pg. 21)
September 27, 2014 / Peoria Journal Star
September 27, 2014 / peoria journal star
eptember 20, 2014 / peoria journal star
June 21, 2014 / peoria journal star
June 11, 2014 / WWCT 99.9fm
Urban Underground
May 27, 2014 / Morton Courier
Summer Beyond the Screen - Peoria Art Guild Art Camp
Families are encouraged to reduce children’s screen time over the summer and replace it with hands-on, enriching activities that promote learning, creativity, and connection. Simple at-home experiences like cooking, gardening, budgeting, writing letter, and making art can help build practical skills and spark curiosity.
Local day trips around Peoria area provide additional opportunities for engagement, including theater workshops, historic sites, museums, nature centers, sports events, art camp at the Peoria Art Guild, and public observatory nights. The overall focus is on keeping kids active, learning, and involved in their community throughout the summer.
May 2014 / Sunshine artist
18th Annual Show Poster Contest: Best Layout
May/June 2014 / Art & Society
Nude Attitude
March 2014 / Sunshine artist
200 Best Review Peoria Art Guild (pg. 57)
Mar 2014 / Sunshine artist
Art Fair Show Shots (pg. 15)
Mar/Apr 2014 / Art & Society
John Miller Opening Reception
Mar 16, 2014 / Peoria journal star
Art Guild exhibit fuels discovery
Mar 2, 2014 / Peoria journal star
Mar 1, 2014 / peoria journal star
Jan/Feb 2014 / art & society
Dia De Los Muertos & Fine Art Fair