You're invited to a conversation with state and local arts leaders and learn about what's new and what's to come in the arts and culture community. Learn how public and private sectors are contributing to the development of our creative city and state.

The symposium will be held at the Found:RE Hotel and the discussion will be hosted by Catrina Kahler, President & CEO of Artlink Inc. and include a Q&A session with all speakers.

The Creative City Symposium series is a partnership of Artlink and Phoenix Community Alliance's Arts, Culture and Public Life Committee.

The next workshop in the artist career series is March 21, 2023, and provides insights and tips on preparing your work for exhibition.

The conversation will include Laura Spalding Best, Senior Director of Exhibits for Desert Botanical Garden, and Robert Gentile, Curatorial Programs Manager for Artlink Inc.

Also register for: “Promote Your Work” – March 28, 2023. This workshop provides insights and tips on promoting your work with Kris Mocny, Owner of Clyint; Leslie Criger, Articipant Liaison for Artlink Inc.

All workshops will be held online via Zoom from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Artists of all levels of experience are welcome. The workshops are free to attend.

The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's annual Community Arts Grants Program strengthens the community's access to arts and culture programming within the city of Phoenix. We provide both general operating and project support to organizations, small arts and culture businesses, and neighborhood groups and artist collectives that apply using a fiscal sponsor.

Grants staff are still hosting virtual orientation workshops and well as be available to meet one-on-one, virtually, with applicants to discuss questions about eligibility, what makes a competitive application, and the review and approval process.

Also, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture seeks knowledgeable, fair-minded, and ​​​​​responsible individuals to serve as grant review panel members. Panelists spend 10 to 12 hours reviewing grants, taking notes, and attending meetings and orientations over a six to eight week period each Spring. Specific timelines and amounts vary depending on the program. Each panelist receives a modest honorarium of $100. All reviews and meetings will take place virtually.

Federal: The President has requested a budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, setting both agencies to $211 million each for FY24. Americans for the Arts Action Fund is asking Congress to at least match the President’s request by appropriating this increased funding for both cultural agencies.

State: Arizona Citizens for the Arts has reported that the legislature is just getting started with budget negotiations for FY24, which begins July 1. Governor Hobbs vetoed a first draft of the budget, which did not include an appropriation for the Arizona Commission on the Arts. This is very different than the $20 million included in the Governor’s proposed budget and the agency’s FY23 appropriation of $5 million.

Local: The City of Phoenix is starting its FY24 budgeting process that will also take affect on July 1. The city will hold 11 in-person budget hearings this April, as well as take online public feedback. Included in the trial budget is modest increase for the Office of Arts and Culture. A special "arts" budget hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at South Mountain Community College Library.

The Arizona Commission on the Arts presents the AZ Arts Learning Virtual Symposium, which provides professional development focused on trends and topics in arts learning. Designed to bring together Arizona’s arts learning community, this three-day virtual professional development will focus on sharing tools and resources to equip attendees with the inspiration and information they need to provide meaningful arts learning programming to diverse communities across Arizona.

Join TYA/USA May 10-12, 2023 in Tempe for the National Festival & Conference: AMPLIFY will bring the TYA community together for a landmark opportunity to reunite and chart the course ahead for the next generation of TYA theatremakers and audiences.

See live theatre as a national community, engage in dynamic interactive workshop experiences, and gain inspiration from extraordinary keynote speakers and young changemakers in the Arizona community. The convening will highlight TYA as a powerful catalyst to support and inspire multiple generations: young audiences, families, and surrounding communities. The Festival will feature work from across the US, sharing the stories of young people and their resilience. The festival will showcase innovation in the immersive Write Now Workshops, examine new models of presenting and touring, and spotlight groundbreaking arts in education practice, and collectively envision a more sustainable and equitable future for the industry.

The Phoenix Office of Art and Culture is proud to sponsor the world premiere performance of Childsplay's The Hula Hoopin’ Queen at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix, the Song Slam Showcase of new musical theatre plays for young audiences also at the Herberger Theater Center, and a 50% discount off the regular registration fee for any Phoenix theatre professionals, theatre students, theatre artists, or teaching artists to attend the festival and conference. Use the code POAC175 for the half-price registration.

Header Image: The Aviators, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Learn More

Artist: Donald Lipski