Posts Categorized: Press Releases

The $9.6 billion fiscal year 2017 budget signed today by Governor Doug Ducey includes a $1.5 million appropriation to the Arizona Commission on the Arts. The additional funding represents a 50% increase over the 49-year-old state agency’s current fiscal year budget.

Hunter Hazelton, a senior at Betty Fairfax High School in Laveen, Arizona, was named 2016 Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Champion at the state finals competition held on March 11, 2016 at the downtown Phoenix studios of Arizona PBS. As State Champion, Hazleton will represent Arizona at the 11th annual Poetry Out Loud National Finals competition in Washington, D.C., in May.

The Arizona Commission on the Arts will present the 11th Annual Arizona Poetry Out Loud state finals competition at the downtown Phoenix studios of Arizona PBS at 7:00pm on Friday, March 11, 2016. Ten high school students from throughout the state will compete in the poetry recitation contest for an opportunity to represent Arizona at the 11th Annual Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C.

On Saturday, February 20, 2016, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona, will present “Introduction and Approaches to Creative Aging” at the Tucson Museum of Art, Education Center Auditorium.

The Arizona Commission on the Arts has hired Gabriela Muñoz, an interdisciplinary artist, arts educator, and arts administrator, for the position of Artist Programs Manager. Muñoz was hired by the Arts Commission following the recent departure of Casandra Hernandez, who has assumed the position of Curator of CALA Initiatives at the ASU Art Museum.

“The AZ Creative Aging Teaching Artist Institute will be highly experiential, allowing participants to observe and practice activities and processes,” reported Alex Nelson, the Arts Commission’s Director of Arts Learning. “Participants will receive training facilitated by master teaching artists, work with a mentor throughout the course of the Institute, and engage in applied learning through guided, on-site teaching opportunities.”

Governor Doug Ducey has appointed Phoenix residents Lisa Gray and Ben Baer as Commissioners for the Arizona Commission on the Arts and reappointed Patricia Kaufman and Ruben Alvarez to new terms. The Governor also reappointed Mark Feldman as Chair of the Arts Commission.