Award Winning Pubic Art at The Aurora Highlands
The Aurora Highlands brought a great deal of creativity to the public art master planning process for its metropolitan district. The city of Aurora requires that developers working within metropolitan districts in Aurora integrate public art into their development and create a public art plan.
Carla Ferreira, director of on-site development and principal of The Aurora Highlands, drew upon her background as a graduate of the Otis Arts Institute, as she envisioned a unique opportunity to integrate art into the community in a way that would define this development as an art destination. She also drew upon her artist connections and their connections to pull together a distinctive group of individuals to help define Art in the Park at Hogan Park within this community.
Ferreira gave the artists freedom and trust, and the overall project began to grow organically. Artists responded to each other’s planned pieces and the evolution of the landscape as their own ideas progressed. As a result, although the works are diverse in materials, content and aesthetic styles, visitors exploring Art in the Park will find that there is a special connectivity to be discovered along the journey. Completed and installed works include “Umi” by Daniel Popper, “Totem Triad” by Lisa Solberg, “Public Displays of Awareness” by Olivia Steele and two sculptures by Hunter Brown.
Ferreira jumped at the opportunity to join the Statues for Equity, an initiative Australian collaborative artist couple Gillie and Marc that seeks to address the strong gender inequality among bronze statues around the world. Researching historically important woman from this area, Ferreira selected Dr. Justina Ford, the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in Colorado.
Among her many goals for public art at The Aurora Highlands, Ferreira hoped to define The Aurora Highlands as an art destination. Although there are still more artworks to come, this goal has already been achieved. Continuing plans include additional sculptures, events, experiences as well as a parking lot. The art here is available to everyone, not just the residents. A parking lot is needed to accommodate the growing interest.
The Aurora Highlands started 2024 by wrapping up multiple awards for their public art. They include an Arts Partnership Award from the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, The Arts + Business Award from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce and the Gold Award for best Community Amenity from the National Association of Homebuilders. According to Ferreira, “These accolades reflect our ongoing efforts to create a community that not only boasts aesthetic appeal and functionality but also fosters a profound sense of belonging and inspiration among its residents and visitors.” For more information, visit //TheAuroraHighlands.com/art-in-the-park/.
Congratulations to The Aurora Highlands!
