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Phoenix Center for the Arts understands the broader meaning of equity as: Access to the resources needed to thrive such as education, employment, healthcare, food, clean water, housing, and arts & culture.

The board, staff, instructors, and volunteers are committed to equitable practices in everything we do. Our actions to strive for more equitable practices may include, but not be limited to:

• Listening to the needs of our vastly diverse community
• Aspiring to educate those who work with us, using tools such as readings, videos, etc.
• Addressing any inequitable behavior not in alignment with our core values

Phoenix Center for the Arts entiende el significado más amplio de la equidad como: El acceso a los recursos necesarios para prosperar, como la educación, el empleo, la asistencia sanitaria, la alimentación, el agua potable, la vivienda y las artes y la cultura.

La junta directiva, el personal, los instructores y los voluntarios están comprometidos con las prácticas equitativas en todo lo que hacemos. Nuestras acciones para luchar por unas prácticas más equitativas pueden incluir, entre otras, las siguientes:

• Escuchar las necesidades de nuestra comunidad tan diversa
• Aspirar a educar a quienes trabajan con nosotros, utilizando herramientas como lecturas, vídeos, etc.
• Abordar cualquier comportamiento no equitativo que no esté en consonancia con nuestros valores fundamentales

The Center strives to be the premier provider of arts and cultural experiences that improve, stimulate, and unite the communities we serve.

The Center será el principal proveedor de las artes y experiencias artísticas y culturales que mejoran, estimulan y unen a las comunidades a las que servimos.

Arts and cultural education for all ages and stages of life.
Cultural diversity.
Respect for the individual, community, and environment.
Fiscal responsibility.

Phoenix Center for the Arts is committed to making programs accessible for all participants. Please contact the Center at least two weeks prior to the start of a class with any accessibility requests or concerns.

Phoenix Center for the Arts acknowledges that it resides on the land of the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People. Land that was cultivated for centuries, and is stewarded today by the Akimel O’odham (Pima), Tohono O’odham, as well as the Pee Posh (Maricopa), who are the indigenous peoples of this land. We share our gratitude for the complex canal systems they engineered over 1000 years ago that enable us to live here in the Sonoran Desert today. We acknowledge the sovereignty of all Native Nations within the state of Arizona, and recognize our responsibility to honor Indigenous People, their culture, and their legacy as thriving contemporary communities by advocating for decolonized, inclusive, and diverse practices for all arts and culture institutions.

Phoenix Center for the Arts was established in 1975 and operated by the City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department until 2011. The Center was slated to close, due to City budget cuts, but the community spoke out.

Committees were formed, citizens organized, and the operation was turned over to the existing nonprofit, the Central Arts Alliance. Since its inception, the Center has been a foundation for the arts in Phoenix. However, since the change in model to a nonprofit, it has already grown into a dynamic community center for the visual and performing arts, quickly filling the needs of citizens, schools, and artists alike, all of whom agree that together we can make something.

Adult Classes include study in metals, photography, painting, drawing, ceramics, glass, the performing arts, and special-interest classes.

Youth Classes include classes and camps in visual arts, theatre, music, and dance in a nurturing environment to develop a child’s creativity.

Engagement The Center is proud to provide art classes and experiences off-site for after school programs, special events, and senior centers.

Performances Third Street Theatre, a 210-seat theater, a perfect venue for one-day engagements and full size productions in theatre, music, and dance.

Community Spaces Perfect for organizations in need of rehearsal and class space, as well as groups and individuals looking for unique spaces for events and parties.

Additional Resources:

Opportunities: Get involved in the arts by volunteering, becoming an intern, or apply for a position at the Center.

Financial Aid: Phoenix Center for the Arts believes the arts are for everyone! Needs based assistance is available for anyone who requests it. The Center also offers year-round discounts for Veteran’s, Active Duty Military Personnel and their family.

Press: Official press releases from the Center and media coverage about the Center.

Publications: Phoenix Center for the Arts class catalog and event programs.

Phoenix Center for the Arts is proud to be a facility of and supported by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. Phoenix Center for the Arts is supported in part by an award from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona. Partial funding provided by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture through appropriations from the Phoenix City Council.