HISTORY

The story of The Contemporary Art Center of Peoria (CAC) begins in 1994, when artist/musician Preston Jackson and other artists were searching for new studio space. Their idea was for artists to work together in an environment in which they both could create and encourage viewing and discussing contemporary art. Joining a small group of investors in buying and renovating three turn-of-the-century warehouse buildings on Peoria's then relatively undeveloped riverfront, the artists opened the Checkered Raven Galleries and Studios in July 1995. They located the facilities on the second and third levels of one of those three buildings, known today as The RiverFront Arts Center.

It wasn't long before the artists realized they needed broader-based support to bring their dream to reality, and to do so in a way that addressed varying needs of a culturally diverse community . And so the following year, they brought together a group of area residents with similar interests to found The Contemporary Art Center of Peoria (CAC) as a not-for-profit umbrella. CAC's impact on the community was immediate and significant. Less than a year later, two national arts magazines had heralded our organization for our exhibits and the quality of our presentation space. That same year, the opening of Preston's epic masterwork, Bronzeville to Harlem, was called the year's "art event of Peoria" after more than 3,000 people of all walks of life attended - often waiting in lines that reached as long as two blocks.