Proposals for Aurora art murals due March 1
Aurora Public Art has updated the dimensions of one project and issued a reminder for a variety of 2021 projects. Themes and locations include a "Mexican Folk Art" mural on a railroad viaduct wall, "Local Architecture" on utility boxes, and "Diversity in Technology" on a second-story wall.
Proposals for all three projects are due at noon Monday, March 1. Artists are encouraged to visit Public Art's website for links to each project's specifications and application at www.aurora-il.org/1952/Calls-for-Artists.
Aurora Public Art announced updated dimensions for a legacy mural at 105 E. Galena Blvd. The dimensions are 36 feet high x 52 feet wide. The theme of the project is "Diversity in Technology," to express Aurora's cultural diversity and growing technology industry. The ideal proposal will feature realistic portraits and abstract expressions of technology. The "Diversity in Technology" mural is funded in large part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and sponsorship from Aurora Downtown.
The "Mexican Folk Art" mural will be installed on the north wall of the New York Street railroad viaduct. The design theme will be depictions of "alebrijes," brightly-colored sculptures of mythical creatures. This project is funded by the City of Aurora and a grant from the Burlington Northern Foundation.
The utility box murals are a continuation of an ongoing project to beautify traffic cabinets at intersections throughout the city. To date, 12 utility boxes have been painted by local artists. The 2021 utility box murals are sponsored by Aurora Downtown and are located at six sites scattered throughout the downtown area. The theme for the 2021 utility box murals is colorful interpretations and geometric abstractions inspired by Downtown Aurora's historic architecture.
"With just over a week until the deadline, we are looking forward to seeing lots of submissions for these varied opportunities," says Jen Evans, public art director for the city of Aurora. "The 2021 public art season is going to be especially exciting, with so many projects going up after our 2020 COVID hiatus."
Artists of all levels are encouraged to apply. Student, amateur, and professional designs will be considered. Preference will be given to residents of Aurora.
Specific design requirements and additional information are available in the RFPs, which may be viewed on Aurora Public Art's website: www.aurora-il.org/1952/Calls-for-Artists.
Artists may submit their proposals for the Mexican Folk Art mural and utility box murals through an online application form. Bids for the larger-scale "Diversity in Technology" mural are to be emailed to the Purchasing Department. Links to all project applications are contained in the RFPs on city's website.