Kane County Reporter

Aurora Illinois issued the following announcement on May 24

Aurora Public Art will install murals in several locations this summer, featuring a wide variety of artists, themes, and styles.   

Festival

The 2021 murals will be painted over a 2-week period from August 21 to September 3, creating a festival of sorts. Artists will install their work in live painting sessions that can be viewed by the public. Small gatherings will feature music and dance. 

“Our plan was to have a large-scale mural festival in 2020, but COVID cancelled public events and obliterated funding for public art projects. This year’s event will be a scaled-back celebration that helps get people back out in our community, reclaiming our vibrant cultural scene. It will provide a COVID-safe preview of a large annual outdoor art festival that will launch in 2022.” 

Mexican Folk Art Mural

A Mexican Folk Art mural will be installed on the north wall of the New York St. railroad viaduct. The design theme is 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.

A team of 4 local artists will collaborate on the design and installation of the piece. The team includes Catalina Diaz, Pierre Lucero, Laura Reyes, and Janice Rodriguez.

Diversity in Technology Mural 

Aurora Artist Rafael Blanco will install a legacy mural at 105 E. Galena Blvd, on the north side of the APS Tower.This large-format mural will be highly visible, located in a main gateway to the downtown area. The theme of the piece is Diversity in Technology, and Blanco’s design features a realistic portrait with a background containing images related to technology. The  mural is funded in large part by sponsorship from Aurora Downtown and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Blanco, an assistant professor at Elmhurst College, is a nationally-renowned painter whose work has been featured in galleries and public spaces across the nation. 

Utility Box Murals

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.

The artists selected for the 2021 utility box murals are Ali Cantarella, Elizabeth French, Teresa Fiehn Millies, Thuy-An Nguyen, Raul Rodea, and Joshua Schultz. 

Lot H Paint Jam

This exciting new project provides a dedicated space for street art installations. Lot H, located at 14 Middle Ave., will be a rotating mural exhibition space. 

7-10 designs will be installed on 6’ x 9’ sections of the cement retaining walls of the lot. The City will prepare the walls prior to installation and will provide anti-graffiti coating after the murals are completed. 

“This is a unique, original project in Aurora. The usual process of approving a mural requires months of planning and design reviews from multiple committees. That process is antithetical to street art, which is spontaneous. Street artists have largely been shut out of public art opportunities, leaving a cultural gap in our community. We are delighted to have found a way to streamline the process and provide space for this important genre.” 

Murals will last approximately one year. New murals will be painted annually, creating a vibrant, ever-changing community space. 

Artists can apply for a spot in the 2021 Lot H Paint Jam by completing a simple application form, available at Aurora Public Art’s website on June 18. Preference will be given to Aurora area street artists, Aurora residents, and artists who participated in painting plywood murals in downtown Aurora during June 2020. Members of the Aurora Arts Alliance will have early access to the application at their June meet-up on Thursday, June 17. More information about the Alliance can be found on their Facebook page.

Original source can be found here.