The Springfield Area Arts Council and the City of Springfield will gather artists, educators, volunteers, organizations, students, and community partners on Wednesday, November 18th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hoogland Center for the Arts for the 2026 Mayor’s Awards for the Arts.

Presented by the Mayor of Springfield, the awards recognize people and organizations whose work helps make Sangamon and Menard counties an arts-rich place to live, work, and visit.

This year’s awards come at a particularly good moment to take stock of that work: The 100th Anniversary of Route 66!

“An arts community does not simply appear because talented people happen to live in the same place,” said Bella Szabo, Executive Director of the Springfield Area Arts Council. “Artists need places to work and perform. Young people need teachers and opportunities. Organizations need volunteers, audiences, and resources. And our cultural communities need people willing to keep opening doors for one another. The Mayor’s Awards give us a chance to recognize the people who have been doing exactly that.”

Awards will be presented in eight categories:
🎓 Arts Educator
🏛️ Arts Organization
🙌 Arts Volunteer
🤝 Business Supportive of the Arts
🌟 Exceptional Arts Student
✍️ Individual Literary Artist
🎭 Individual Performing Artist
🎨 Individual Visual Artist

The nominations received this year tell a broad story about the region’s creative life. They include artists with decades of professional practice, young people beginning to find their voices, educators building the next generation of artists, volunteers whose work happens largely out of view, businesses investing in cultural opportunities and infrastructure, and organizations that have served the community for generations.

The evening will be both a celebration of those individual accomplishments and a look towards what comes next.

DRESS CODE: FESTIVE ATTIRE — ROUTE 66 AFTER DARK

Dress up. Have some fun. Make it yours.

Think cocktail attire or evening-wear with a little Mother Road personality: vintage Americana, western details, mid-century glamour, neon-inspired color, a great bolo tie, a statement accessory, or whatever Route 66 means to you.

Come dressed to the nines. Come as you are. Or land somewhere in between. We want you in the room.

Mayor's Award for the Arts 2026