Peoria Art Guild History
The History of the Peoria Art Guild
The Peoria Art Guild's roots trace back to 1878, when a group of visionary women founded the Ladies Art Society. Meeting at the Spurck Building on Main and Madison in Peoria, Illinois, the Society sponsored art exhibitions, lectures, and the city's first art classes in painting and drawing. This marked Peoria's first step toward establishing a thriving arts community.
In 1886, the Ladies Art Society evolved into the Peoria Women’s Club. Around the same time, a group of six men formed the Saturday Men’s Sketch Club, meeting weekly to create art and exchange ideas. By 1904, these two groups united as the Peoria Art League, holding meetings at the Peoria Public Library, where works by original member Hedley Weycott still hang today.
Despite these early successes, the lack of a dedicated building and economic fluctuations led the Peoria Art League to merge with other cultural groups in 1913, forming the Peoria Society of Allied Arts. The society envisioned a cultural center near the Peoria Public Library, but funding efforts were hindered by the looming onset of World War I.
Undeterred, the Society persevered, and in 1965, the Lakeview Center for Arts and Science opened. This cultural hub housed the Peoria Art Center, alongside other organizations like the Historical Society and the Peoria Symphony. Four years later, the Peoria Art Center relocated to 1831 North Knoxville under the leadership of President Carol Fiske. The move marked a pivotal moment, allowing the organization to focus exclusively on the arts. It adopted its final name, the Peoria Art Guild, and began to expand its mission.
The same year, Mr. and Mrs. William Bibo inaugurated the first Junction City Fine Art Fair, now celebrated as the Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair. Over six decades later, it remains a cornerstone event, showcasing artists from Peoria and across the nation.
The Guild’s contributions to the community extend far beyond exhibitions. It fosters creativity through art classes for all ages and skill levels, covering mediums such as painting, ceramics, and digital arts. Programs like "Healing Through the Arts" promote mental well-being, while outreach initiatives provide free workshops for underserved populations.
Public art also thrives under the Guild’s leadership. Signature programs like Sculpture Walk Peoria enrich the urban landscape with rotating displays of contemporary sculptures, accessible to all.
Today, the Peoria Art Guild continues its mission of "bringing art to the community and the community to art." Its enduring presence, marked by a commitment to education, innovation, and inclusivity, ensures that Peoria's artistic legacy remains vibrant for generations to come.
Rare Opportunities – Nationally Known Works of Art
Andres Serrano
In 2005, the Peoria Art Guild had the distinction of being the only venue in the Midwest to exhibit 18 extra-large Cibachrome photographs from Andres Serrano's AMERICA. In late 2001, Serrano began this series comprised of 100 portraits. Serrano, born in New York, is an internationally acclaimed and collected artist. He studied at the Brooklyn Museum and Art School, and started exhibiting in the 1980s.
Read: Art Guild Hosts Midwest Exhibit of Andres Serrano Work
Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, de Kooning and more!
In 2004, the Peoria Art Guild was privileged to be the host of 18 paintings and five sculptures from the private collection of Marsha S. Glazer. The Glazer collection was considered among the top 100 private art collections at this time. With the exception of pieces too fragile to make the journey, a majority of the Glazer collection was on display.
The collection included works by Louise Bourgeois, Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Jean Dubuffet, Janet Fish, Helen Frankenthaler, Alberto Giacometti, Arshile Gorky, David Hockney, Lee Krasner, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Mitchell, Henry Moore, Malcolm Morley, Claes Oldenburg, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Gerhard Richter, Kurt Schwitters, David Smith, and Wayne Thiebaud.
Read: Picasso, Pollock, de Kooning, oh my!
Foster Arts Center - Acknowledgements
In 1999 the Peoria Art Guild relocated to 203 Harrison Street thanks to the Cohen/Goldstein building donation and the Ellen Foster renovation gift. We are now located in the beautifully rennovated Foster Arts Building.
