Who We Are
In a celebration of the arts, storytelling, and community, we invite you to explore the open-air museum that is Century Walk.
For more than 25 years our mission has been to engage our community with our collective history through public art. Our city’s fading stories are brought to light in Century Walk’s collection of more than 50 public sculptures, murals, reliefs, mosaics, and more. Working with local as well as internationally acclaimed artists, we aim to bring permanence to significant people, places, and events that have shaped, and continue to shape, our community.
Our Mission
Century Walk's mission is to create culturally significant and diverse public art throughout Naperville. The public art collection is meant for everyone to experience. We think art should not be restricted to the confines of museums but rather be accessible to the public – a vibrant backdrop to our interweaving stories. The non-profit organization has dedicated over 50 pieces of public art to bridge past, present, and future generations through art and visual storytelling.
Our Story
In 1996, Century Walk began as a non-profit public art initiative. The first 30 pieces represent over 187 years of Naperville history through stories of people, places and moments in time. Several of the more recent pieces were not limited to historical remembrance but explored contemporary themes surrounding our ever-changing community.
What makes the Century Walk stand out among public art projects is the way in which the community is involved in the artworks themselves. Do you recognize anyone as you look upon the faces in the crowd of The Great Concerto at the Community Concert Center in Central Park? Look closely, the faces of over 56 residents of our community are depicted on this epic work. Naperville Loves a Parade includes portraits of hundreds of residents who donated to the creation of the unforgettable mural.
