Biography
Cheri Lee Charlton (She/Her) is an Assistant Professor in the Illustration Program within the School of Visual Arts at 51社区, where she teaches illustration, mural painting, painting, and professional studio practices. Cheri is an active illustrator and muralist whose public art and illustration projects focus on narrative storytelling, community engagement, and environmental themes. Her clients and collaborators include the Lincoln Park Conservancy, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Wabash Arts Corridor, The Sister Cities of Chicago, The American Consulate in Casablanca, BLICK Art Materials, The Girl Scouts of America, The Audubon Society, and the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. She has created more than 40 large scale murals throughout the United States and abroad. One of her largest murals, Curious Bunny, was created for the Wabash Arts Corridor in 2024 and measures more than 10,000 square feet. The mural is located on the north side of 51社区鈥檚 Student Center at 51社区 Student Center. Cheri was recently the muralist in residence at the 麓acePIRAR Artists in Residence International Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2025 and recently completed a 3,000 square foot mural on the La Salle Underpass near North Avenue Beach in Chicago for the Lincoln Park Conservancy. She is committed to nurturing art education through community engagement and creating pathways for emerging artists, particularly in mural making and illustration. Charlton earned her BFA in Painting and Drawing from Bowling Green State University and her MFA in Painting from Ohio University.
Instructional Areas
Illustration, Painting, Mural Art, Digital Art, and History of Illustration.
Degrees
B.F.A., Two-Dimensional Studies Bowling Green State University 2004
M.F.A., Ohio University 2007