MURPHYSBORO - A city known for apples and barbeque is slowly becoming known for another aspect of life in town - art.

Mayor Ron Williams said the community has a number of artists residing there and many people in the community would like to see it promoted as an artist community.

"We would like to see something like that develop here," he said. "We have people that are working that way."

The old Douglass School building has been converted into the Douglass School Art Place and houses four exhibition areas for local artists to display their work.

Ted Van Acker, who has restored several historic buildings in Southern Illinois, purchased the old Logan School building earlier this year and expressed plans to use parts of it as artist galleries.

Murphysboro is also home to renowned metalsmith John Medwedeff, who designed the Smysor Fountain and is developing a new city park on Walnut Street.

Kaye Carr, executive director of the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce, said the organization would do whatever it could to help artists who would like to locate in Murphysboro.

"We definitely have storefronts that are available that an artist may use to display or sell their work," she said.

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