November is National Gratitude Month, and as we wind up our seven years of writing for the Community Word, we want to express our gratitude to Clare Howard. In 2014, Clare took a chance on us when she asked us…

Read more →

The Peoria area has a history filled with innovation from the first car built by Duryea to the current Natural Fiber Welding. What is perhaps less known are the past Peorians who led the way for equality, equity and understanding…

Read more →

How do you spell art? On April 17, more than 15 young children would have answered F-U-N. That’s the day Big Picture Initiative and The Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum co-hosted a mural making workshop. Artists Megan Couri and Jaci Musec…

Read more →

What can’t you live without that you rarely think about? The answer is water. We rarely give water any concern because it is something that works quite well being taken care of by professionals like Illinois American Water Company. When…

Read more →

Challenging times require innovative solutions and the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators across the country to find new ways to be effective teachers. Art & Design Professor Heather Brammeier at Bradley University was one of those teachers. With students enrolled in…

Read more →

Two years ago “Abraham Blue,” the 50-foot mural of Abraham Lincoln on the Peoria County Courthouse, came into our community. Many recognize the historic importance, but few know the real reason I (Doug) created this image. “Abraham Blue” represents a…

Read more →

In May of 2018, we started our 501(c)(3) Big Picture Initiative with a 1,650 square foot portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the Peoria County Courthouse. We assumed the monumental task of creating something even bigger and more powerful would be…

Read more →

What makes art “public?” Is it the approval of a committee or government, or is it the number of people who see it? Is it how large the work is, or how much change it can bring? Is it beautiful…

Read more →