From street murals to art classes: How St. Charles Arts Council transforms the city

Vibrant designs on city streets; 70 artists from around the country invited to paint St. Charles; countywide student art shows — the St. Charles Arts Council has had a passion for community and art for the past 15 years, and they are just getting started.

The St. Charles Arts Council (SCAC) has deep roots in the city and its community. Whether or not you’ve heard of them, it’s likely they’ve reached you in some facet — whether you enjoyed a public art installation, took a picture in front of one of their city murals, participated in a community art event, or enjoyed artwork on one of the walls of your favorite restaurants or coffee houses.

The SCAC was there, working as a liaison behind the scenes to make it happen. Meanwhile, they were building a community — a community for artists to connect, create, and learn from one another.

It all began 15 years ago, when four members of the St. Charles Fine Arts Fair recognized a gap in the art scene in St. Charles — a need for an organization to serve and promote the arts and culture in St. Charles to the mutual benefit of artists and the community.

Thus, the SCAC was born. Over the years, the SCAC has evolved from not only promoting arts and culture but creating it, as well.

This was further compounded by the opening of their brick-and-mortar location in February 2025. Thoughtfully named the Art Resource Center — or ARC for short — it has quickly become a creative hub for exhibiting artists, diverse and striking exhibitions, and invigorating art classes.

Located off Route 31, just north of Route 64, it serves as a centralized location for all creative and community endeavors.

The SCAC recognizes that art should be accessible to everyone and is passionate about public art and community engagement. This past May, the SCAC celebrated its fifth annual Paint the Street with the help of staff, volunteers, and the community.

This is a wonderful public art project that leans heavily on community engagement each year to beautify Riverside Avenue in downtown St. Charles. This year’s vibrant Art Deco design is credited to St. Charles East High School Student, Corinna Dietz.

This June, the community at large is invited once more to take part in enhancing their city with Banners in the Park. An annual temporary installation at Mount Saint Mary’s Park, Banners in the Park, invites residents & local businesses to get creative with the theme, “Summer Fun!” The Banners will be hung from June 26 through the end of September. The SCAC still has banners & paint available. Visit stcharlesartscouncil.org if you would like to participate!

The SCAC will be hosting an exciting array of classes and events throughout the summer — including youth felting classes, digital photography, and even a featured speaker from The Art Institute of Chicago on June 13.

Many of the SCAC’s events are tied back to the community and are open to the public. The third Tuesday of every month, the SCAC hosts monthly Artist Coffee Talks at the ARC Gallery featuring a different guest speaker to discuss a topic of interest. It is a time for learning, connection, and creativity. It is a great opportunity to meet local artists, learn new ideas, and view the current exhibitions.

The SCAC hosts seven rotating exhibitions, including an annual student art show for children K-12 in Kane County.

What’s next for the SCAC? The sky’s the limit.

Recently, a Free Mini Art Gallery was installed, with talks of an affiliated location.

Meanwhile, SCAC is gearing up for one of its biggest events of the year — the 2026 Plein Air Event. This weeklong event, held Aug. 17-23, hosts 70 artists from around the country and locally.

The artists will spend the week painting outdoors throughout the city of St. Charles, culminating in the Grand Reveal and sales of their works at the end of the week. This is an amazing opportunity for the public to see artists “in the wild,” as they paint, and to take part in various community events. The SCAC highly encourages the public to follow along for event updates and attend public events.

To learn more about St. Charles Plein Air or how you can become involved in the St. Charles Arts Council, visit stcharlesartscouncil.org today.