Grow, Sustain, and Thrive: a Strategic Plan for Arizona Arts and Culture

The Arizona Commission on the Arts is proud to share its new strategic plan for 2027-2031! Grow, Sustain, & Thrive is the culmination of a year-long public input and planning process that engaged more than 1,300 Arizonans from communities across the state.

Designed to ensure that the perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Arizonans are embedded in the strategic design of the agency’s next five years, this plan engaged Arizonans across all 15 counties, representing a variety of perspectives and backgrounds through 18 community listening sessions with 308 in-person participants and a public bilingual virtual survey with 1,020 public responses.

Through multiple rounds of iterative development and review by a dedicated Commissioner working group, these insights were distilled into a plan where every Arizonan can see themselves as a steward of the state’s cultural future.

Central to the Grow, Sustain, & Thrive plan is a refined mission statement that reflects the agency’s public role:

The Arizona Commission on the Arts strengthens arts and culture by investing in artists, organizations, and creative workforce development to enrich communities and quality of life for all Arizonans.

We are grateful to the hundreds of Arizonans across the state who contributed their personal perspectives and insights throughout this planning process. Ultimately, this plan belongs to all Arizonans. The arts have a powerful role to play in the State’s next five years. By working together across organizations, communities, and generations, we can strengthen the whole, support one another’s growth, and sustain a thriving arts and culture community for years to come.

If you’d like to learn more about this plan, join us for a webinar on Wednesday, May 13, at 2:00 pm. During this one-hour presentation, Arts Commission staff will discuss the key components of the plan as well as the public input process that informed its creation.

For those unable to join us live, the webinar will be recorded and available for later viewing.