The community of Meridian prides itself on being a premiere place to live and raise a family.  Meridian ranks as the 6^th fastest growing city in the country, and the Meridian Joint School District #2, which serves not only the City of Meridian but many other Idaho communities as well including Eagle, Star, and West Boise, ranks as one of the most rapidly growing school districts in the country. Even in the face of this extraordinary growth, Meridian and the Joint School District, consistently win national recognition for the quality of life and education enjoyed by our residents.   Meridian is truly situated at the heart of the treasure valley and in addition to supporting the 72,000 residents of Meridian, the City amenities also support Idaho residents throughout the Treasure Valley as well as visitors and tourists.

The Mayor and City Council of Meridian are visionaries with an exciting plan for the future of Meridian. It is the goal of this rapidly growing city that Meridian residents and visitors experience the benefits of a small community with all the amenities of a metropolitan area, having the available cultural activities, dining, shopping, and entertainment to meet all interests.

In order to help meet this ambitious goal for this vibrant City, the Meridian Arts Commission was established by City ordinance in November of 2006, through a public application process. Six commissioners were selected and appointed by Mayor Tammy de Weerd and confirmed by the City Council. The first meeting of the Commission was held in February of 2007. 

The mission of the Meridian Arts Commission is to develop, advance and nurture all facets of the arts to enhance the quality of life for Meridian’s residents and visitors.  It is the vision of the Meridian Arts Commission to help establish and support a vibrant arts community that integrate the arts experience into our everyday life and enhances the sprit of our city.

There is a great deal of work to be done in order to provide the residents and visitors of Meridian with the cultural an artistic opportunities they need and deserve.  Therefore the Meridian Arts Commission has established three strategic focus areas for 2007-2008.   The three focus areas are Arts Awareness, Arts Education, and Arts Participation.  The commission’s first formal initiative was to establish a new series of events, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations called “Take Part In The Arts” that will be a significant first step in addressing all three of the focus areas.