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Langston Allston Artist Talk
Champaign Public Library
200 West Green Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
(217) 403-2000
Category
Hours
Former Champaign resident, painter, and muralist Langston Allston will discuss his new mural for Stratton Academy of the Arts and provide an overview of his work at the Champaign Public Library on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:00 pm in Robeson Pavilion Room B.
The mural was created as part of a $20,000 Healing Illinois grant for Stratton Academy of the Arts under its "Healing Through Place” category, which supports projects that utilize community spaces, public landmarks, and heritage sites for reflection, remembrance, and renewal. "Healing in place" recognizes that history is written not only in stories but also in the land, buildings, and monuments that shape our collective memory.
Allston’s mural for Stratton Academy of the Arts is inspired by the history of African American residents in Champaign’s North End. It honors those who sought a better life during the Great Migration to escape Jim Crow laws and those who fought for equality in a town historically divided by racial lines. This initiative aims to connect students and the community to this rich history, raise awareness of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail (CCAAHT), and explore the history of art and murals that narrate the African American experience. Unit 4’s Stratton Academy of the Arts, 902 N. Randolph St., is a fine arts magnet school and a “Point of Pride” on the CCAAHT.
Langston Allston describes his practice: "I am a painter and muralist living and working in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. My work is about presenting ordinary moments of daily beauty as mythic and monumental. That practice guides me in both public artworks and studio painting. I draw influence from a wide variety of sources, both historical and contemporary. When creating murals, I take on the responsibility of representing the neighborhood and its residents in an honest, compassionate, and reverent light. I believe it is critical to create public artworks that enrich the experiences of the people who live with them day after day. This process is based on research into local routines, histories, and myths. For me, public work is about listening, responding to feedback from passersby, and engaging the community directly around the project sites."
Healing Illinois is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services in partnership with The Field Foundation of Illinois and United Way of Champaign County.