The Aurora Navy League Council 247 will hold its monthly dinner meeting Tuesday, April 19. The meeting will be held in the private dining room at the rear (north side) of: Riverview Diner, IL-25 at Mill Street, Montgomery.
A reception will begin at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at approximately 5:30 p.m.. The dinner includes a choice of three entrees (fish, chicken, or beef), with soup or salad, dinner rolls, vegetables, dessert, and nonalcoholic drink. The cost is $25 all-inclusive. A fourth, lower cost entree, a dinner salad, may be purchased for $20. It includes soup, dinner rolls, dessert, and nonalcoholic drink.
The after dinner speakers will be Ms Jenn Byrne, public art director of the city government of Aurora. She will speak on “The Public Art on Display Throughout Aurora Illinois”.
You do not need to be a member of the Navy League, or have a reservation, to attend the meeting, the general public is welcome. The Navy League is a civilian organization started by president Teddy Roosevelt to provide civilian support the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and Sea Cadets.
Jenn Byrne, previously Jenn Evans, began as the public art director for the City of Aurora in 2017. Prior to that, Ms Byrne grew up near Chicago but spent a great deal of time with extended family in Aurora. In 1996, Byrne moved to Aurora full time, and has resided there since, outside of her time earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Fine Arts at NIU and spending a year teaching English in rural Japan.
After graduating with a Master’s degree in 2006, Byrne spent five years teaching dual credit art classes for Aurora Public Art. Subsequent to that, Byrne taught college design, drawing, art history; ran Water Street Studios in Batavia as gallery director and then executive director; and ran a refugee health screening program for the DuPage County Health Department.
As Public Art Director for Aurora, Byrne has managed the installation of nearly 40 murals, and has maintained high quality gallery exhibits at the Pierce Art and History Center. Byrne looks forward to focusing on outdoor sculptures in 2022.
The Aurora Council is having a membership drive, and will pay half of the first year’s dues for new members. This is an excellent opportunity to attend an interesting event, and determine whether you would like to join permanently.
—Aurora Navy League