Charleston, Illinois

This town is home to Eastern Illinois University which employs almost 2,000 full-time faculty and staff and has roughly 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The planning stages for the Murals Around The Square began in 1997 under the guidance of the Charleston Tourism Advisory Board.  The purpose of the project is to create an outdoor art gallery depicting highlights of the history of Charleston.  Painting began in 1998. Charleston has much to offer concerning the performing arts, with facilities including The Village Theatre, Dvorak Concert Hall, Charleston Alley Theatre, Will Rogers Theatre and the Amphitheatre.