ArtsPartners of Central Illinois has announced recipients of the 2024 ArtsPartner of the Year and Legacy Awards, honoring two outstanding contributors to greater Peoria’s arts and cultural scene.

This year’s ArtsPartner of the Year Award went to the Community Foundation of Central Illinois (CFCI), celebrating CFCI’s support of the arts and the transformative role it plays in empowering local arts organizations.

ArtsPartners named Kidder Music as recipient of its 2024 Legacy Award winner for its 50 years of dedication to Peoria’s musical community.

“Both the Community Foundation of Central Illinois and Kidder Music exemplify the best of our community’s commitment to the arts,” said Dr. Mae Gilliland Wright, Executive Director of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois. “CFCI has been a bedrock for arts organizations, ensuring they have the resources needed to thrive, while Kidder Music has inspired generations of musicians, adding harmony to our community for 50 years. We are deeply grateful for their dedication and proud to honor them this year.”

The awards were presented at ArtsPartners’ annual meeting Oct. 30.

Arts Dollars

In November, ArtsPartners announced its second 2024-2025 Arts Dollars award winner: the Elmwood Center for the Humanities.

Elmwood’s new Center for the Humanities will collaborate with writer-researcher Tiffany Thomas and voiceover artist Aja Blue to produce six historical documentary shorts with untold stories and historical photos provided by the Elmwood Historical Society. The short films, part of the “Prairie Tales” series, will focus on history of Elmwood and surrounding communities, with each episode screening at Elmwood’s restored 111-year-old Palace Theater. The documentary shorts will premiere every two months from January to August, shown before feature films at the theater.