If I tell you to meet me on the third floor of The DLP, and you don’t ask for clarification, you probably are an Aurora downtown regular. For those less frequent downtown visitors, let me explain. We have some amazing hidden gems in downtown Aurora, and I quickly could rattle off a handful, but I want to tell you about the David L. Pierce Art and History Center and its three floors of wonder.
I, along with many downtown folks, lovingly refer to the building that combines art and history as “The DLP.” It’s an abbreviation of Aurora former mayor David L. Pierce who led the building’s revival in Summer 1996. The shortened name has caught on a bit, but there are a couple of individuals who prefer to say the longer, proper name.
As for me, The DLP is one of my favorite places in downtown. It’s a welcoming place with a small gift shop on the first floor and expertly curated exhibits on all three floors. The first floor gallery is usually a rotating exhibit by Aurora Historical Society or Aurora Public Art, which both reside in the 152-year-old building at 20 E. Downer Place.
The second floor is host to the historical society’s “Aurora Story” exhibit that allows visitors to take a fun tour with community history through relics and retro pieces that span through the decades.
The shared building has a busy former life. Joseph Stolp financed the building that was originally home to the Aurora Herald and Freemasons. A Masonic “eye” symbol is carved into the top of the limestone wall. It later become the Ginsberg clothing store.
When the building first opened again in 1996, it was called the Aurora Art and History Center. It was renamed in 2003 to honor mayor Pierce’s vision. I often hear it referred to as the “Art and History Center” or “The Pierce Center.” In 2011, then-director of the Aurora Public Art Commission, Rena Church, said it had been host to more than 110 exhibits in the first 15 years.
In Fall 2017, Jen Evans was hired as Aurora Public Art’s director after Church retired that Summer. Evans has been host to four exhibits on the third floor, plus a community event that invited visitors to write “love” on the wall with washable markers. Evans has welcomed an all-female Queen cover band, a trumpet player, a film director, and community groups into the space.
The third floor is sectioned into two gallery spaces: The outer gallery and the inner gallery. Evans said she looks forward to creating an interactive, community space within the inner gallery’s walls for every exhibit. August 3, when the fifth annual Jazz Occurrence opens, that experience will include third floor visitors being invited to paint on the walls along with the artists who will be in the outer gallery.
“It’s our fifth annual Jazz Occurrence Art Exhibition again at the Aurora Public Art Commission,” said artist and founder of Jazz Occurrence, Lewis Achenbach. “Rajiv Halim Quintet, consisting of Matt Gold, Phil Beale, and Norman Palm, will perform, and visual artists Arthur Wright, Michelle Richardella, Amy Rodriguez, Melanie Brown, Jes Thomas, Cameron Pfiffner, and Zavier Evans will create.”
The artists’ creations will become the exhibit. “The walls will start blank at 6 p.m. and be curated/improvised into structure by 9 p.m.,” Achenbach said.
So, please meet me on the third floor of The DLP some time between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. August 3 during First Fridays for an incredible evening of art and community. Stop by the Stolp Block Party on your way to see a dozen artists creating art, enjoy live music from Ron Porter Trio and Bones Jugs, and grab a bite to eat at one of a handful of food trucks.
For more on First Fridays on August 3, visit www.auroradowntown.org.
Marissa Amoni is the event coordinator for Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit of business and property owners in downtown Aurora’s Special Service Area #One. Aurora Downtown is getting ready to be host to Eat Aurora, downtown’s first restaurant week August 1 through August 5.