Who we are

40 North | 88 West began as a true community effort back in 2001. Local residents saw a need for an umbrella organization that represented the arts in Champaign County. This group met on a regular basis, holding many discussions on the local arts community. After a year of engaging various members of Champaign County in the discussion, the group hired consultant Cheryl Yuen who held many focus groups and talked with people throughout the community to determine the need for an arts council.  The general consensus was that the community needed an arts council that truly reflected the arts of Champaign County through facilitating collaborative efforts, informing the public of the local arts community, and advocating for local arts, culture and education.

Since its official launch in 2002, 40 North has consistently expanded its reach, programming, and impact. As a vital force in shaping the cultural identity and creative vibrancy of this area, 40 North has developed a broad array of programs and events that serve artists, residents, and visitors across Champaign County such as:

  • Boneyard Arts Festival – A multi-day, countywide celebration of the arts that showcases hundreds of artists in unique venues across Champaign, Urbana, and surrounding communities. This event brings art directly into neighborhoods, coffee shops, galleries, libraries, and businesses, creating a rich tapestry of creative expression.

  • Eric Show – A juried high school art exhibition that supports and highlights young artistic talent, fostering future generations of creatives.

  • Friday Night Live – A popular summer series in downtown Champaign featuring live local music that energizes public spaces and brings diverse crowds together.

  • Crystal Lake Park Art Fair –Crystal Lake Park is transformed with local and regional art vendors and features paintings, textiles, ceramics, photography, jewelry, glass, mixed media and much more.

 

As the creative heart of Champaign County, 40 North continues to ignite inspiration, build bridges between communities, and reinforce the arts as essential to community well-being.

Advocate

40 North will ADVOCATE for the individuals, organizations, and enterprises in Champaign County that constitute its arts, culture, education community by promoting awareness of the extraordinary quality, quantity, and diversity of arts, culture and education activity in the County and by actively lobbying for public- and private-sector support of the arts, culture and education community.

Inform

40 North will serve as an extensive repository of INFORMATION about the individuals, organizations, and enterprises in Champaign County that constitute its arts, culture and education community. This information will be made publicly available and distributed through distinctively designed and effectively employed vehicles, including an engaging, powerful, and user-friendly website linked to an extensive arts, culture and education database.

Collaborate

40 North will encourage, support, and enable COLLABORATION not only between members of the arts, culture and education community, but between that community, business, government and the public at large through a sustained process of cross-sector communication, convening, and event planning.

What we stand for

  • The arts are fundamental to the quality of every life.
  • The arts must be accessible to all.
  • Diversity in all its forms is essential to a vibrant creative community.
  • The arts must be integral to the education of our children.
  • The arts are a vehicle for social change.
  • The arts are a catalyst for economic development.
  • Artists must be recognized, valued, and compensated for their work.
  • Art is a powerful vehicle for collaboration among individuals, organizations, and businesses.