Editing Oregon, Illinois (section)

===The Arts===
In 1898, sculptor [[Lorado Taft]] founded the [[Eagle's Nest Art Colony]] on a bluff overlooking the Rock River, north of Oregon. Taft and his art colony began to exert an influence on the city of Oregon and its culture. The artists who gathered during the summer at Eagle's Nest would leave a mark on the city below them. One result of the colony's location near Oregon was the inclusion of a second story [[art gallery]] in the [[Oregon Public Library]] when it was built in 1908. Art colony members were required to contribute to the local culture by giving art shows, lectures and plays. In 1904, Taft created ''The Blind'' and then began focusing on more monumental works including ''[[The Eternal Indian]]'' located just north of Oregon in Illinois' [[Lowden State Park]]. Several other Taft works are located in and around Oregon, including [[The Soldiers' Monument (Oregon, Illinois)|The Soldiers' Monument]] on the courthouse lawn.<ref name=novak3>Novak, pp. 55-56.</ref>