Mission and Vision:
The Urbana Arts & Culture Program (formerly Public Arts Program) and Commission was established by the City Council in April 2008, to foster a city where all residents may engage with the arts and where artists thrive and are valued. The arts, as used in this program, include but are not limited to music, theatre, visual arts, dance, creative writing, film/video, crafts, performing arts, spoken word, environmental arts, multimedia arts, architectural arts, landscape architecture, and emerging media. Urbana is an Illinois Arts Friendly Community, designated by the Illinois Arts Alliance and Illinois Municipal League in 2008. Through public support for the arts, the City of Urbana increases opportunities for the creation of art, thereby enhancing the quality of life, economic development, citizen participation, cultural awareness, and vibrancy of the community. Since 2018, the explicit mission of the Urbana Arts & Culture Program has been to celebrate Urbana's artistic and cultural diversity.
The Urbana Arts & Culture Program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
The City of Urbana's Arts & Culture Program operates a number of arts programs that can be further explored from one of the tabs below or to the left of the screen.