GALESBURG – What happens when the leaders of the local arts and tourism organizations brainstorm new, collaborative ideas? You get murals. Lots of murals, with some music on the side.
The heads of the Galesburg Community Arts Center and Galesburg Tourism & The Visitors Bureau, with the cooperation of the city of Galesburg, is looking to bring more murals to the outer walls of Galesburg and the surrounding area.
A committee was formed this spring to explore ways to increase the number of murals in Galesburg and Knox County and to host Music & Mural festival starting sometime in 2023.
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Tuesday Centin, executive director of the Galesburg Community Art Center, said the committee envisions a one- or two-day festival that would allow the community to celebrate new public murals.
“The idea of a festival has been percolating for quite some time,” said Cetin. “Tourism and the arts are so close together, it made sense for us to have these conversations. It’s certainly not a new idea. Many communities have tied murals and music together.
“For us, although it is very early in the planning, we would like to include not only Galesburg, but the surrounding communities. We envision a two-day festival, or a kind of one-day unveiling festival that celebrates music and mural locations of difference. Artists would work on these for quite some time before the festival itself.”
