The Century Walk Corporation, founded in 1996, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing public art to Naperville, to add beauty to the town, build community, and bridge generations by paying tribute to over 200 years of Naperville history through a diverse collection of murals, mosaics, sculptures and more.
What makes the Naperville Century Walk stand out among public art projects is that the artwork embraces the community which it represents, and the community which it represents becomes involved in the pieces of art themselves. As you look upon the faces in the crowd of The Great Concerto at the Community Concert Center in Central Park, do you recognize anyone? Look closely, the faces of over 56 residents of our community are depicted in this epic work. The muralist, Bart Gunderson, spent 1,600 hours creating The Great Concerto. Because of the timelessness of this historic piece, we can delight in finding the faces of our friends, family, and neighbors, not only in the crowd during summer concerts, but also in the artwork itself.
Does art have to be displayed in a gallery or painted on a canvas? Brand Bobosky, Century Walk president, did not believe so. “Think of it like an art institute but without rooms.” The art of Century Walk is meant for everyone to experience. The organization has dedicated these 52 pieces of public art so that these people, these places, and these events will be remembered. Century Walk made public art visual, tangible, and visible so everyone can enjoy it.
Visit Naperville Century Walk to learn more about their art, mission, and how to get involved.
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Spotlight Guests
Deborah Venezia, Committee Member
Sangeeta Pande, Committee Member