Learning is a lifelong process, if you’re open to it and lucky enough to see the value in it. Learning from mistakes can be tough to swallow, but it’s those lessons that can really stick with us.
When Aurora Downtown was asked by community members last year why we didn’t have a transparent process for murals, we took the task as a challenge to learn.
We got to work. We learned from city government staff members, community members, and other towns.
We learned how to improve our process and to create a transparent and equitable mural selection process.
With the organization’s recent pick of a final mural design, we put our new-found education to the test, and we are confident that it will bring the community murals that everyone can take pride in.
Starting with the proposed East Side gateway mural on the east wall of Mangkuk Restaurant, 210 E. Galena Boulevard, Aurora Downtown’s Streetscape Committee widely circulated a request for proposals in January.
The committee received eight proposals by the February deadline that the eight-member committee reviewed by using a mural assessment rubric.
The mural design by Laura Lynne and Catalina Diaz scored the highest, and was reviewed by a separate mural task team composed of community artists and business owners.
Aurora Downtown provided feedback from the task team to the artists so that a final design could be presented to the Streetscape Committee for approval.
Now the final design can begin the steps of moving through the city approval process this spring. If approved by Aurora City Council, the gateway mural would be planned for August.
It will be the second gateway mural funded by Aurora Downtown. The first, by artist Josh Schultz and a team of volunteers, is on the southwest corner of Lake Street and Galena Boulevard.
We hope to keep learning along the way as we continue to work toward our mission of creating a healthy and thriving town for all to enjoy.
Marissa Amoni is the manager of Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization of business and property owners in Special Service Area One. The group started in 1975 with the vision to improve redevelopment districts downtown. Learn more at auroradowntown.org.