The city of Phoenix will mark the 30th anniversary of the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission with a celebration of the arts in downtown Phoenix on Oct. 3. The PHX Arts and Culture @ 30 Years Celebration, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Phoenix Convention Center, Herberger Theater and on Monroe Street between Second and Third Streets in downtown Phoenix. The multi-site event will feature music, dance and theater performances, talks and art making demonstrations.

30th Anniversary FlyerIn addition to the contributions of nearly 100 arts and culture organizations, the celebration will also feature downtown public art tours, food trucks and activities for people of all ages. Nominees for the fourth annual Mayor’s Arts Awards will be announced from the main stage.

For a full schedule of events and timeline, please visit phoenix.gov/arts/celebrate. Highlights include the following:

Herberger Center Stage, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Video presentations on “Phoenix Public Art” and “Phoenix Arts and Culture @ 30: A Conversation” (recorded panel discussion with Mayor Greg Stanton, Terry Goddard, and Phoenix arts leaders); and in-person presentations on “Phoenix Urban Guide: a PUG’s Life,” and “Making Our Mark – How the Arts Define Phoenix.”

Public Art Tours, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Downtown public art tours, including the works at the Phoenix Convention Center, will be led by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art team. The tour will include installations such as “Art is the Guaranty of Sanity” by Louise Bourgeois, “Social Invertebrates” by Tom Otterness and others.

The Main Stage on Monroe Street, 10:00 am to 4:00
Performances by Fushicho Daiko, Mariachi Pasíon, Cyphers Center for Urban Arts, Phoenix Conservatory of Music, Rosie’s House, Arizona Caribbean Association, and Jazz in Arizona.

Mayor Greg Stanton will announce the nominees for the fourth annual Mayor’s Arts Awards from the main stage at 12:30 pm.

The Phoenix Convention Center Arcade (off Monroe Street), 11:00 am to 4:00 pm 
Choral Music Performances: Arizona Masterworks Chorale, Phoenix Boys Choir, Phoenix Metropolitan Men’s Chorus/Canyon Echoes, Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix, Voices of the Desert.
Music Performances: ProMusica Arizona, MusicaNova Orchestra, Arizona Opera, Young Sounds of Arizona, Arizona Caribbean Association, Phoenix Traditional Music and Dance.
Dance Performances: Ballet Arizona, Crossroads Performance Group, Desert Dance Theatre, Step’s Junk Funk, Movement Source Dance Company, Center Dance, Leanne Schmidt and Company.
Theatre and Literary Performances: Four Chambers Press, La Phoenikera Writer’s Guild, Black Theatre Troupe, The Torch Theatre, Teatro Bravo.

Art Making Demonstrations and Hands-on Activities in the Herberger Plaza
Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Deer Valley Rock Art Center, Free Arts of Arizona, Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation, Phoenix Center for the Arts, Rosson House Heritage Square Foundation & Guild, The Rag Collection, Valley Metro Transit, Xico, USA Arizona, Phoenix Airport Museum, Reimagine Phoenix, City of Phoenix Water Services Department.

Art Making Demonstrations and Hands-on Activities in the Convention Center Arcade: Arizona Artists Guild, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Clay Association, Heard Museum, Arizona Matsuri, Release The Fear, and the Phoenix Police Museum.

Dozens of other groups and organizations will offer giveaways and information at tables in the Convention Center Arcade, including Arizona Humanities Council, Arizona Citizens for the Arts, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Artlink, Act One Foundation, Alwun House Foundation, Arab American Festival, Arizona Consortium for the Arts, Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Arizona Latino Arts & Culture Center, Arizona Theatre Company, Friends of the Orpheum Theatre, Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Blues Society, Phoenix Children’s Chorus, Phoenix Film Foundation, Phoenix Theatre, VSA Arizona, and Roosevelt Row CDC.

PHX Arts and Culture @ 30 Years is sponsored by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Reimagine Phoenix, City of Phoenix Water Services Department, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, the Phoenix Convention Center and Venues, and Downtown Phoenix, Inc.

PHX Arts and Culture @ 30 Years is sponsored by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Reimagine Phoenix, City of Phoenix Water Services Department, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, and the Phoenix Convention Center and Venues.

The Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission was established in 1985 by the mayor and city council to “protect, enhance, serve, and advocate excellence in the arts for the people of Phoenix in their City.” Over the past 30 years Phoenix has experienced an exciting proliferation of arts and culture activity. The Phoenix Public Art Program has collaborated with artists and designers to create more than 180 major public art projects throughout the city. The expansion and creation of cultural facilities, such as the Phoenix Art Museum, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Theatre, Ballet Arizona, Arizona Opera and Black Theatre Troupe, have dramatically changed the cultural landscape of Phoenix. A 30-year investment in a community grants program has nurtured the development of non-profit arts and culture organizations, which now number over 160 within the Phoenix city limits, and supported delivery of cultural services to Phoenix residents in the form of community outreach and arts learning programming. The non-profit arts and culture sector has become a $300 million economic driver for the city of Phoenix.

For more information on PHX Arts + Culture @ 30 Years Celebration and a full list of participants, please visit phoenix.gov/arts or call (602) 262-4637. Please follow the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram #PHXArts30.