Art in Public Places - Aurora, Colorado

08/27/2026

08/24/2026

🖼️ Calling Colorado artists!
The City of Aurora is seeking artists to exhibit completed artwork in two municipal exhibition spaces for the 2027 exhibition cycles: the Aurora Municipal Center and Tallyn’s Reach Library.
Whether you’re looking to make an impact in a larger gallery-style space or prefer a more intimate setting, there are opportunities for artists at different stages and with a variety of artistic perspectives.
     Artists, artist groups, and independent curators are welcome to apply.

📅 Deadline: September 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MT
Open to artists residing in Colorado
💲A $150 honorarium to aid in exhibition costs.
🚫 Completed artwork only. No renderings, conceptual proposals, or AI-generated artwork will be reviewed.
Apply through CaFE via Creative West. The application is free!
(Link in Bio)

[Image description: Promotional images for loaned artwork for both the Aurora Municipal Campus and Tallyn’s Reach Library]

08/19/2026

Take a closer look. 🔍

From unexpected textures and materials to colors, patterns and details you may not notice at first glance, there’s always more to discover in Aurora’s public art collection.

These are just a few of the works you can find throughout Aurora. Explore the AIPP Collection Guide to learn more about each piece, the artists behind them and where you can see them in person.

[Image description: Slide 1: Close-up of A Room to Breathe by Tom and Jean Latka, featuring swirling blue, turquoise and purple textures. Slide 2: Canopy at Fletcher Plaza by Jessica Sauther, featuring curved green beams and purple mesh panels. Slide 3: Aurora Wrap by Susan Cooper, showing blue metal forms wrapping around a brick building with an orange sphere. Slide 4: Early Aurora and Aurora Now by Judith Poxson Fawkes, depicting Aurora buildings and colorful woven textures. Slide 5: Wheel Works by Tim Upham, featuring intertwined green, purple, red and yellow metal forms. Slide 6: Steel Stampede by Douwe Blumberg, showing layered steel horse silhouettes with rusted and reflective surfaces.]

08/15/2026

Discover Colorado’s wild side through the lens of photographer Lauren Lang. 📷🌿

Wild Companions: The Wildlife and Wildflowers of Colorado is now on view at the Aurora Municipal Center Mezzanine Gallery, featuring a photographic exploration of Colorado’s untamed species and native flora.

Stop by and experience the beauty of the landscapes and wildlife that make Colorado home.

On view now through October.

[Video description: A walkthrough of the Wild Companions photography exhibition, featuring close-up and wider views of Lauren Lang’s photographs of Colorado wildlife and native wildflowers displayed throughout the Mezzanine Gallery at the Aurora Municipal Center.]

08/03/2026

Request for Qualifications: The City of Aurora Art in Public Places Program is seeking qualifications from Native American artists for the second of five public art commissions at the Plains Conservation Center.

📍 Plains Conservation Center
✅ $90,000 Project Budget
💵 Free to Apply
🎨 Permanent Public Art Opportunity

Artists are invited to create a three-dimensional artwork that reflects the ecological, cultural, and historical significance of Colorado’s shortgrass prairie while honoring Indigenous perspectives, stewardship, and the connection between people and the land. With this work being house at the front of the conservation center.
This opportunity is open to artists who are members of the all 574 federally recognized Tribal Nations within the United States.

📅 Application Deadline: September 3rd, 2026
Visit the link in our bio to learn more and apply through CaFÉ. [Image Description: promotional image displaying a photo of the Plains Conservation Center’s front Entrance ]

07/20/2026

Last chance to experience the work of renowned Mexican sculptor José Sacal: Un Mexicano Universal.
 
This thought-provoking exhibition invites visitors to explore themes of identity, justice, and the human experience through Sacal’s expressive sculptures, inspired by influential cultural and historical figures.
 
Visit Aurora Central Library before the exhibition closes July 29.

06/24/2026

Request for Qualifications: The City of Aurora Art in Public Places Program is seeking qualifications from Native American artists for the first of five public art commissions at the Plains Conservation Center.

📍 Plains Conservation Center
✅ $67,500 Project Budget
💵 Free to Apply
🎨 Permanent Public Art Opportunity

Artists are invited to create a three-dimensional artwork that reflects the ecological, cultural, and historical significance of Colorado’s shortgrass prairie while honoring Indigenous perspectives, stewardship, and the connection between people and the land.
This opportunity is open to artists who are members of the 51 federally recognized Tribal Nations associated with Colorado, as well as Tribal communities connected to the Denver Metro area through the Indian Relocation Act of 1956.

📅 Application Deadline: July 22, 2026
Visit the link in our bio to learn more and apply through CaFÉ. [Image Description: promotional image displaying a photo of the Plains Conservation Center’s grasslands]

06/11/2026

Attending Aurora Fest this Saturday, June 13?

While you're enjoying live music, cultural performances, food vendors, and the community marketplace on the Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn, take some time to explore Aurora's public art collection while you're there.

Within walking distance of the festival, you'll find several artworks throughout the Aurora Municipal Center campus, including:

• "One Nation" by David Ocelotl Garcia
• "The Enchantment of Reading" by James Haire
• "Field of Blue" by George Lundeen
• "Courthouse Panel" by Ayokunle Odeleye
• "Dawn Ring" by Carl Reed
• "Light of Dawn" by Rafe Ropek
• "Sun Shell" by Rafe Ropek
• "Sunrise" by Tim and Rick Upham
• "Twin Totems" by Mary Williams
• "Ascenciate" by Douwe Blumberg

Public art is woven throughout the Aurora Municipal Center campus, making Aurora Fest the perfect opportunity to discover artworks you may have never noticed before.

How many can you find while you're there?

📍 Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn
📅 Saturday, June 13

[Image descriptions:
“Ascenciate” by Douwe Blumberg, an abstract outdoor sculpture at the Aurora Municipal Center featuring flowing organic forms and metal elements in a landscaped public setting.

“One Nation” by David Ocelotl Garcia, a public artwork at the Aurora Municipal Center celebrating community and cultural identity through symbolic imagery and vibrant design.

“The Enchantment of Reading” by James Haire, a public sculpture depicting figures engaged with books and storytelling outside the Aurora Municipal Center.

“Field of Blue” by George Lundeen, a bronze sculpture at the Aurora Municipal Center depicting figures in a realistic style within a landscaped plaza.

“Courthouse Panel” by Ayokunle Odeleye, a large-scale public artwork featuring decorative patterns and imagery integrated into the courthouse architecture.

“Dawn Ring” by Carl Reed, a circular abstract sculpture at the Aurora Municipal Center featuring geometric forms that frame the surrounding landscape.

“Light of Dawn” by Rafe Ropek, an abstract outdoor sculpture featuring curved forms and reflective surfaces inspired by the colors and movement of sunrise.

“Sun Shell” by Rafe Ropek, a public sculpture featuring sweeping shell-like forms that reference sunlight and natural patterns.

“Sunrise” by Tim and Rick Upham, a large-scale public sculpture featuring vertical forms and vibrant colors inspired by the rising sun.

“Twin Totems” by Mary Williams, a pair of sculptural forms standing side by side, incorporating symbolic shapes and textures in an outdoor setting.]

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we reflect on the ways public spaces can hold memory, recognition, and community.

Inspired by the historic ticker tape parades that welcomed soldiers home after World War II, “Ticker Tape” by David Farquharson transforms that sense of gathering and gratitude into a contemporary public artwork experience. The colorful sculpture features interactive LED lighting that briefly flickers in response to nearby visitors, creating a moment of connection through light and movement.

You can visit the artwork at Liberty View at Fitzsimons, 1959 N Quentin St. in Aurora, Colorado. “Ticker Tape” represents a partnership between the Aurora Housing Authority and Aurora’s Art in Public Places Program.

[Image Description: Daytime and nighttime views of “Ticker Tape” by David Farquharson, a colorful public sculpture in Aurora, Colorado featuring large ribbon-like perforated metal forms spiraling upward around a bright green structure. The nighttime image shows the artwork illuminated with interactive LED lighting in pink, blue, purple, and white tones.]

05/10/2026