An Illinois artist is bringing his skills to Urbana. Artist Rafael Blanco was selected by the Urbana Arts and Culture Program to design and create a mural for the Urbana Adult Education Center (UAEC).

“We are excited that the Urbana Adult Education Center was chosen to be a part of this mural,” said Superintendent of Urbana School District, Dr. Jennifer Ivory-Tatum. “It is a great opportunity to highlight the important work UAEC does in our community and the strong appreciation for the arts in Urbana. Mr. Blanco has done a fantastic job of capturing the rich diversity of the Adult Ed Program and the Urbana Community, and this mural will serve as a constant reminder of that.”

Work on the mural, titled Urbana Enlightened, began Tuesday and is expected to be complete in a week. Five UAEC students are featured in the mural. The students were carefully selected to showcase the diversity of the program. 

A ribbon cutting is planned for 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 7 at 1106 S. Vine St. in Urbana. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the unveiling.

“Urbana Arts Grants continue to support a wide variety of public arts initiatives throughout the City of Urbana. Urbana Enlightened will be a vibrant addition to our creative landscape,” said City of Urbana Arts and Culture Coordinator, Rachel Lauren Storm.

Blanco’s mural will be on the new home of the UAEC, across from Urbana Middle School. The mural is being funded by an Urbana Arts Grant and is one of several murals going up around town this summer. 

More about the artist:

Rafael Blanco is a contemporary artist fascinated with identity, human expression, and diversity & inclusion as a main focus in his work. Trained as a classical studio painter, Blanco has been, since 2014, transitioning to public art, especially to large scale murals. 

He has painted murals across the country from California to Maryland. Currently, he works as Assistant Professor at Elmhurst University, where he teaches Drawing, Painting, and Art History.