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Downtown Auroran LOCAL CULTURE
The Outsiders Jaime Torraco, Greta Bell, Leif Rodgers and others look to Aurora for art and inspiration
art comic poetry recipe photography calendar
summer 2011
Art
Downtown Auroran www.downtownauroran.com Marissa Amoni Publisher and Editor
Don Picton
W
hen I was jogging recently around the trail at Lincoln Park on Aurora’s West Side in preparation for the Second to None 5K in downtown Aurora this May, I overheard a man complain to a couple walking the trail about the new park signs that were just installed and cemented around the park.
Dave Sobotka at Kelmscott Communications Graphic Design Max Balding Proofreading
Artist Profile Advertising and Submissions:
“Aren’t we supposed to be watching what we spend?” he griped. As I ran, I pondered that question. With the DTA profile: Maureen Gasek economy balancing out, most institutions continue to make cuts and keep an eye on spending, but the park district, along with the library, has Gasek uses color like it’s her always been pretty smart with their dollars, M so aureen maybe he was just confused. best friend. She knows what makes red
blueI started shine and getting orange light up. Why shouldn’t Some people just like to complain, I thought.work, Then mad. Andsignage? Gasek, 46, can intimate we be able to enjoy a nice park with upgraded Webecome live insothe second largest city with color that a canvas might blush. in the state and should reap the benefits. “Color is my thing,” she says. “You have to know color theory to I’m not sure why people like to bark about money being spent to improve and beautify know how color works.” a city. I enjoy sidewalks, streetlights, attractive parks and other amenities that make it a So orange never just straight orange – it’s a mixture of yellow pleasurable place to live, work andis play. and red. “You get vibrancy when you mix colors,” said Gasek in
While some whine about new parkhalf-round signage,house installation streetlights in downtown Auher unique on Aurora’s of northeast side. rora or the building of RiverEdge Park along Broadway, others are enjoying a city with a “I really want to get people to look at my art. Everybody looks lot to offer and contributing to the offerings while the city is on a limited budget. and nobody sees anymore. I want people to really look at things.
E-mail downtownauroran@gmail.com Fall issue deadline is August 19. On the Cover: Jaime Torraco Photograph by Marissa Amoni. Downtown Auroran (DTA) is a local independent operation. Sea Illuminations We are focused on the downtown and its success – especially the burgeoning arts and culture movement. Opinions are encouraged and expressed, but they are not necessarily those of DTA.
Downtown Auroran is published quarterly, and 2,000 copies are distributed free of charge throughout downtown and select locations in the Aurora area. One copy of DTA per Planetary Sunset Reef Fire please. Share Cavernous person, it andExploration recycle it.
It is such aPuce hecticMarket world. Weand are inundated with so Festival, much stuff. take advantage Two events this summer, Louche Alley (ART) People can relate to color, shape, movement – that is my goal – of a small allowance available through the city’s neighborhood festival funding, but they to have them use their imagination,” she said. are largely grassroots volunteer efforts. The most recent June 3 ArtWalk in downtown Aurora operated on a very Gasek slim says budget and washad a complete thanks she has always her “hand insuccess art.” She sold her to many dedifirst piece – a collage of her hands – for a quarter when she was cated volunteers. in first grade. When she was only 13 years old, Gasek taught
Often times, funding a desirable project isn’t theplaster city’sstudio burden alone. come from plaster classes to adults at the that her brother Dollars and uncle owned Wisconsin, where grew up.just She taught them footing the bill. a variety of sources, like federal andinstate grants sosheit’s not the city how to paint; stain and varnish the miniature plaster statues that For example, RiverEdge Park received $8 million from a state grant funded through Gov. were popular at the time. Pat Quinn’s “Illinois Jobs Now!” capital program. The downtown streetlights are also the has worked withcity. clay and metals in the past and now product of grants that wereGasek awarded to the focuses on mostly acrylics. She teaches acrylic painting as well
It is true that tough times call for scaling class backat financially and inthe city has had to tighten as a jewelry-making Water Street Studios Batavia. their wallet considerably, but it is still important to have Aurora shine not only to its resiShe’s involved in the local art scene, is a member of the Aurora dents, but also to those traveling through our city.
Join us on Facebook! Fall issue is availabe in mid-September Please support the businesses that support us. Keep it local! Copyrighted 2011
Art League and serves on the Cultural Creatives committee in
downtown Aurora. She selection of artiststo forbe thethe case. Pride in our city is well worth the money, orassisted effort,inifthethat happens
See you downtown!
Aurora ArtWalk this fall.
Gasek paints her stunning, expressive pieces in a converted back room of the home she shares with her handy husband – carpenter and sculptor, Scott Robertson. She dove into painting full time about three years ago and still runs her graphic design business, Epsilon Design and Consulting. She says that balancing both professions gives both the left and right side of her brain a workout.
friends gather at the She paints her canvases onAa group spinningofeasel, a gift from her husband. And she signs each on the back so it can be 5thpiece annual Aurora ArtWalk turned on the wall to suit the viewer.
OUR SERVICES Design E-Business Data Management Print Targeted Mail Promotional Products
held in June. The next ArtWalk planned 14. “I have a real organic style,” is Gasek says of for her October paintings. Some people see planetary or landscape themes in her Bibriesca work; others Credit: Benjamin see dragons, fish, monsters and faces. Whether the viewer feels they are in space or under water when staring at Gasek’s imaginative paintings, they are transported to a different reality.
Fall 2009
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Downtown Auroran
Downtown Auroran
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Summer 2011
Matthew Jung
Artwork by Greta Bell
index
c over st ory
The Outsiders
By Marissa Amoni
page
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features GĂźera en Aurora, IL By Nikki Rice Piece by Piece By Clark Allen Tulip By Cinnamon Reiter
A u ro r a n Wo rd s
page
4
DTA profile: Jaime Torraco
page
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A r t i s t P ro f i l e
Historical Notes
Marissa Amoni
Southwest corner of Downer & Broadway – Limestone Artifacts, 1926
page
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Table of Contents 4 auroran words 5 locust report 6 cover story 9 citizen voices 10 downtown voices
Summer 2011
Downtown Auroran
11 artist profile 12 recipe 13 culture shock 14 submissions 15 historical notes
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Auroran Words
Nikki Rice lived on the east side of Aurora before beginning her studies at NIU in DeKalb, where she now resides. A printmaking major and art history minor, Rice spends most of her time creating art and music, blogging, and combing antique and thrift stores for unique finds.
Tulip
By Cinnamon Reiter
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Downtown Auroran
Summer 2011
The L o c u st R ep o r t Reporting the News and Gossip in Downtown Aurora
• I s our songstress Andrea Dawn going to leave downtown for the “big city?” Say it isn’t so! Dawn is considering a move to Chicago, which will place her closer to the venues she frequently plays. We’ll miss her if she bids adieu, but we’re excited to say we knew her when. She assured DTA that she loves Aurora and it’s a hard decision for her and her husband, fellow musician Zach Goforth. •O h, gosh. Downtown gripe? Think hard. Parking, of course. The city hears you and promises (wait, did they promise?) to remove the parking meters in downtown hopefully this summer on a possibly temporary basis. It’ll be a trial run to determine its effectiveness; so if people stop complaining about parking, then it’s a success. The city’s official statement, “We will be removing meters this summer on a pilot basis.” But don’t get too excited. Rewind some years back to when the city removed the meters along Broadway at the urging of businesses. It ended up being a parking nightmare and businesses begged to have the meters return. Repeat? We’ll see. • RiverEdge Park, part of the 2006 Seize the Future grand plan for downtown, will soon be a happening place. In only two short years, the new park needs to be finished in accordance with funding fine print. Crews will get started at Blues Island with burns and shoreline restoration later this summer and will plant the grassy areas where people will stand and listen to music soon. •R estaurant Row update: Continuation of “the row” with Billy Goat Tavern and possibly others is still in the plans, albeit delayed. The city says that all of the players are still on board even though things got contentious over the last year when the landlords and the developer ended up battling in court. “The first hurdle is getting ownership resolved,” the city says. The current restaurants appreciate all of the local support, so keep it up! •P aramount. Broadway. Paramount. Broadway. Kudos to Tim Rater, the new executive director, and Jim Corti, the new artistic director, for building up a tremendous amount of excitement for the Paramount Theatre’s 80th year. My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Chorus Line and Hair – wow, wow, wow and wow. Buy your tickets now. Summer 2011
•T wo Brothers, oh how we love thee. Let us count the hops and yeast and amber pints of beer. The popular brewing company hidden out in an industrial park in Warrenville announced in early May that they are buying America’s Historic Roundhouse (formerly known as Payton’s). Brothers Jim and Jason Ebel plan to move right in and do a little renovating as soon as the sale is finalized. •A lley (ART) Festival and Louche Puce Market are taking over the mall this summer. Whether you need art, treasures or just a fun family-friendly time, Water Street Mall is the place to be. Louche Puce is a funky flea market on second Saturdays through Sept. that boasts all things cool and vintage. Alley Art Fest on Saturday, Aug. 27 is going on its second year of bringing art, music and spectacle to downtown. •W aubonsee Community College’s new campus is open for schooling. If you spot young whippersnappers donning backpacks, then heckle them from across the street to stop in and support the many fine businesses in downtown Aurora. •W here you will not be seeing students is in the old ARTWorks location along Galena at Water Street Mall. The program, which allowed high school students to earn college credit for fine arts classes, was killed due to city budget cuts. The program was Rena Church’s baby and it’s sad to see it gone. We hope it can be resurrected in the future. Our opinion: seeing young people with paints and brushes standing at easels placed by the river = priceless. • Lisa Gloria is moving her art studio and artist gallery two doors down to 13 W. Downer Pl. Gloria, of Aurora, opened 7 West Studio last winter on a limited hours schedule. At the new location, she doubles her size and possibilities; she’ll offer workshops and additional hours. Jennifer Trudo
• Are you ready to watch great films in downtown Aurora? Free up your second Tuesday evenings starting in October. Copley Cinémathèque is a new film venue that will show critically acclaimed, mostly independent movies with the assistance of City Cineastes, a film society headed by Jeanne Norris. Paramount Theatre under director Tim Rater is opening up Copley Theatre at North Island Center for the movies; doors open at 6:30 p.m. Join City Cineastes on Facebook or e-mail citycineastes@gmail.com for more information.
•D owner bridge construction update: status quo. It will happen. It could happen starting in December. We need new bridges and we’re happy to see them go, whenever that might be.
Repurposed necklace by Gail Chrisse. One • The city went a year without a downtown coordinator and they couldn’t of the many handmade, do it any longer. With Karen Chrisclever and artful pieces tensen, former downtown developavailable at Lisa Gloria ment director, thriving in a new role, Studio, now at 13 W. the city looked to Gina Moga, who Downer. About a dozen was over at the now defunct Office local artists sell their of Special Events. Moga is known wares at the studio. for her keen ear and ability to bring top-notch performers to Downtown Alive! Her new role as downtown liaison brings a learning curve, but we’re confident that as an Auroran, Moga has downtown close to her heart. •P .S. A bookstore is opening in downtown Aurora? Good thing this is the gossip page. You never know what could pop up, though. Keep your hopes up.
Downtown Auroran
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C ov er S t o r y
Outsiders
Aurora is inspiration. It’s historic architecture, urban edge, flowing river and diverse spirit calls
and lens. Downtown Auroran Magazine requires submissions of art, poetry and photography to relate to Aurora through the material or the artist’s locale. In this issue, we welcome artists not in Aurora to share their poems
T he
(Auroran Words pg. 4) and art
Angela Spiteri
to artists of brush, word
(Artist Profile pg. 11). On these
Angela Spiteri lives in St. Charles and is a graphic design student. Spiteri lived in Aurora for most of her life and has always loved taking photos in downtown Aurora.
pages, non-Aurorans show Aurora through their artistic
Welcome outsiders! hand or eye.
By Marissa Amoni
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Downtown Auroran
Summer 2011
House on Ashland Avenue
Grand Army of the Republic Memorial
Greta Bell
Leif Rogers
Leif Rogers was born in Aurora and graduated from Aurora University before being trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His working method carries him through many media, including paint, pastels, ink, wood, plaster and glass. Location and memory are important features to his work and though Rogers and his wife now live in Plainfield, Aurora still features prominently in his work.
Aurora Regional Fire Museum
Greta Bell lives in Batavia where she is a full-time oil painter at Water Street Studios in studio 21. Bell’s youngest son was born in Aurora. When Bell participated in last year’s Aurora ArtWalk, she found out from Mayor Weisner that she lives one block away from his childhood home.
Chef Amaury at at 33 33 W West est
Live Right. Eat Well. in Downtown Aurora Summer 2011
Downtown Auroran
33 W. New York St.
630.375.0426 www.chefamaury.com
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Read more.
Play more.
Lisa Gloria
more art • more craft • more shows
Smile more.
tues - sat 10-6 now located at 13 w downer place in downtown aurora
Studio l
www.aurora.lib.il.us
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14 W. Downer Pl., Suite A (upstairs) Aurora, Illinois 60506 630-234-4928
Kim Granholm 54 E. Galena Blvd. Aurora, IL 60505 aurorafastprint.com
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P: 630.896.5980 F: 630.896.5989 kim@aurorafastprint.com
Downtown Auroran
Summer 2011
C i t i zen V o ic es One-way or two-way, which direction should downtown go? Compiled by Josh and Madeline Black
Shawn Ratliff, Aurora Desktop support at Waubonsee Community College, downtown campus “One-way streets aren’t too bad but some should be converted to make it easier to get around. Galena should be a two-way street.”
Summer 2011
Maria Deltoro, Aurora Accountant at Hollywood Casino “The one-way streets are not that confusing once you get used to them, plus they help keep the traffic moving.”
Bobby Phillips, Aurora Retired “One-way streets don’t bother me,” said Phillips, who has lived downtown for over 20 years. “I walk everywhere!”
Mavis Bates, Aurora Acupuncturist at Inner Harmony on Lake Street “I don’t like the one-way streets because they destroy the neighborhood feel. They make Aurora a place to drive through instead of a place to stop and stay. “
Downtown Auroran
Mira Peterson, Aurora Accountant at Hollywood Casino “Parking is already limited downtown, if the city converted to two-way streets, a lot of metered parking would be lost. It seems that the way the streets are now is best for traffic flow and parking.”
Jessica Wagner, Aurora Student at Waubonsee Community College “One-way streets are annoying for people that aren’t familiar with them, but if you live here it is nice and not confusing...they help keep traffic moving.”
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D ow n t o w n V o ic es Documenting Together Guest column by Laura Mast
Our Café
Guest column by Deena Sherman ~ deenabess@gmail.com
“We wanted to serve Aurora, but Aurora has really served us,” said Bailey Standish, whose family runs River’s Edge Café in downtown Aurora. She told me that they were committed to keeping the place open after Jeff and Cathy Jones, who had operated the place for two years, moved on to other adventures. The Standish family couldn’t bear to see the downtown café close when so many people use it to meet, relax and build a sense of community, so they jumped in.
Juana (pictured here with child) and Pedro live with their
four young children on the near east side of Aurora. The family is extremely low income; stuck in a battle for workman’s compensation and disability after being severely injured at work, Pedro and his wife spent their entire savings purchasing the home for their growing family.
Rebuilding Together Aurora (RTA), a local non-profit that provides free home repairs to low-income families residing in Aurora, selected this home as one of 35 projects in the annual April Rebuilding Event. The work crew, consisting of volunteers from Midwestern University’s Occupational Therapist graduate program and local contractors, provided extensive repairs to the home in just two weeks, including roofing repairs, electrical upgrades, carpet install, fresh paint throughout, kitchen cabinets and flooring and adding insulation. This spring, almost two-dozen students from West Aurora High School partnered with seven local professional photographers to document RTA volunteers in action. The photo team, called RTA Doc.Crew, worked together to document the spring rebuilding event. Juan Molina, a West Aurora High School student, caught this moment on camera while participating in the RTA Doc.Crew under Jimi and Kate Allen’s mentorship. Molina’s photo was chosen as one of the top five photos at an end of program competition. Other photo finalists were Mia Sanders, Brandon Zierer and Hyvan De Leon. Last year, Rebuilding Together Aurora provided assistance to 129 individuals, repaired 51 homes and engaged over 700 local volunteers. Laura Mast is an AmeriCorps Program Outreach Coordinator working for Rebuilding Together Aurora. 10
Bailey said her mom, Beth Standish, approached this the same way she approaches life in general, with the attitude of “Hey, that sounds like fun, let’s try it!” Bailey assured me that her mother doesn’t follow many traditional paths and over the eight years they’ve lived in Aurora, Bailey has realized there’s a wonderful part of this city that is just like her mom creative, energetic and positive - always thinking outside the box and trying new things. She explained, “There’s a whole incredible world going on here that we didn’t know about before. We’re so blessed to be involved with this community.” Congresswoman Charlotte Reid, mother to State Representative Patricia Reid Linder, was one of the inspirations for the Standish family. Charlotte, who died in 2007, was a neighbor. Bailey told me how, when she was younger, Reid sparked her imagination with stories of “Old Aurora” when the downtown was booming and Aurora felt like the center of the universe. The Standish Family is working with other citizens and downtown businesses to bring that Aurora back. They envision a future where the café hosts even more live music, local artists and authors, and interesting community events. “There is so much untapped potential here,” said Bailey. “We want to be part of that.” River’s Edge recently started hosting ukulele nights each month. In June, they hosted local authors Patricia Rockwell, Diane Morlan and Karen Gallahue at “A Cozy Afternoon for Mystery.” Check their website at www.riversedgecafe.com for details about more upcoming events or visit them on Facebook. But even on an average afternoon, River’s Edge Café is a great place to find that sense of community Bailey talks about. People read, talk and work on laptops, enjoying the sunshine on the back deck and free wireless Internet. You can hear discussions about politics, business and daily life while smells of the excellent coffee and foods being prepared fill the air. It is the smell of a bright future for downtown Aurora.
Downtown Auroran
Summer 2011
A rt is t P r o file DTA profile: Jaime Torraco Jaime
Torraco puts pen to paper and draws. She draws mostly cute things, sometimes of the dark variety. She might embarrass you in a game of exquisite corpse; she can easily fill a sheet with the creativity that flows from her imagination.
“I like to experiment and not do the same thing all the time,” she says. “I let the pen start making shapes.” Draw first, ask questions later is her motto. Torraco is an illustrator by trade; she’s a doodler naturally. She fills her sketchbook with fantastical bunnies, whimsical horned creatures and a girl astronaut in a jet propelled TV suit. “My goal is to be as productive as possible,” says Torraco, who sketches, paints and designs all in her spare time when she’s not riding her cool orange Schwinn Stingray or going to see local bands play. Recently, Torraco started to pick up playing the banjo when she got distracted with other projects like illustrating a friend’s book, screen printing art for last April’s Molded Heroes show in downtown Aurora and growing Kittens of Industry, her newly formed artistic business entity. “I wanted to be something really adventurous like a sea captain or an ice cream man,” says Torraco, who is always finding new things to keep her busy. She ponders spending her time in a more structured fashion, but inspiration and art are always leading her in various directions.
Summer 2011
Torraco grew up in Carol Stream figure skating into her teen years and obsessing over the girl pop art of Lisa Frank. Her artistic ability evolved throughout the years, she says. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University where she majored in illustration. “I think my art has gotten a lot better,” she says. She added that she pays more attention to colors and she purposely notices things visually. She recently illustrated local author and vegan Tambra Riddle’s book My Teenage Rejection of Death Products due out this fall. Riddle, a nutritionist in Wheaton, maintains the blog Veggie Edge at www.veggieedge.com. Inspired by American cartoonist Tony Millionaire’s Sock Monkey comic, French artists Miss Van and Fafi and illustrator Fawn Gehweiler, Torraco maintains a cute edge to her work. She often adds text to her illustrations if something from current or past pop culture sticks in her mind. “I like to put goofy characters in funny situations and make statements,” she said. “I have to embrace my strangeness.” Jaime Torraco does not live in Aurora although she can be found at every art show and festival within the city limits, including the most recent ArtWalk in early June. She works at a call center in DeKalb and is happy to spend her free time painting imaginative murals for paying customers. Watch for her work to show up in her beloved Hi-Fructose Magazine and you can say you saw her in Downtown Auroran Magazine first. Torraco will be part of Alley (ART) Festival on Saturday, Aug. 27 on Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora. Find Kittens of Industry on Facebook. You can reach Torraco at kittens.of.industry@gmail.com.
Downtown Auroran
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Two Brothers Ale Vinaigrette Contributed by Kate Purl – west of downtown
Ingredients: 1/4 cup Cane & Ebel beer 1 tablespoon local honey 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic 1/8 teaspoon grated orange zest Directions: Whisk ingredients together in a bowl or blend in a food processor. Slowly add four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly.
Joanna Goss
Let’s celebrate the arrival of the Two Brothers Brewing Co. near downtown and the return of the Aurora Farmers Market by combining fresh greens with a dressing that highlights one of Two Brothers’ popular ales. Throw in a few ripe berries and you’ll have a terrific summer salad.
Downtown Auroran Magazine
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Makes enough for two entrée salads or four dinner salads. If you make it in advance, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then bring back to room temperature and whisk before serving. Aurora Farmers Market runs 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through October 22 at the Aurora Transportation Center.
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Downtown Auroran
It’s collectible! Summer 2011
C u l tu r e S h o c k JULY 4TH OF JULY PARADE Mon July 4 at 10 American Legion Post 84 and the city worked together to save the parade. Step off at River and Benton streets. aurora-il.org DOWNTOWN ALIVE! FAN FAVORITES Fri July 15 from 6 to 10 Live music from American English and Dbl-Shot. $3. New York and River Street at the old YWCA parking lot. downtownaliveaurora.com AURORA PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL AND PARADE Sat July 30 from 11 to 10 & Sun July 31 from 11 to 9 Celebrate 40 years of Puerto Rican pride! Parade is Sunday at noon. North River Street Park, north of New York Street. (630) 859-3593. aurora-prcc.org
AUGUST THE MUSIC SHOW Fri Aug 5 from 5 to 10 Feel the vibe from local artists who will display artwork inspired by music at Lisa Gloria’s art digs, formerly 7 West Studio, now two doors down. Lisa Gloria Studio, 13 W. Downer Pl. lisagloria.com DOWNTOWN ALIVE! ROCK ON THE FOX Fri Aug 12 from 6 to 10 Live music from 7th Heaven and 28 Days. $3. New York and River Street at the old YWCA parking lot. downtownaliveaurora.com TEEN TALENT SHOW COMPETITION Sat Aug 13 at 2 3rd annual teen talent show sponsored by Aurora Public Library. FREE. Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd. aurora.lib.il.us AUTO ROW CAR SHOW Sun Aug 21 from 11 to 3 3rd annual auto show on historic LaSalle Street open to cars 1975 and older. Spectators FREE! LaSalle St. between Benton St. and Downer Pl. 630.251.3533. LaSalle60505@sbcglobal.net.
Summer 2011
ALLEY (ART) FESTIVAL Sat Aug 27 from noon to 5 Amazing summer art spectacular. Local art, music, performances and more. Open to everyone. FREE! Water St. between Downer Pl. and Galena Blvd. next to City Hall. “Alley Art Festival” on Facebook.
SEPTEMBER THREE GENERATIONS OF ARTISTS ART OPENING Fri Sept 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. Anton Witek, Priscilla Humay and Helen Balun Humay on display. Free. Aurora Public Art Commission at the David L. Pierce Center, 20 E. Downer Place. (630) 2563340. aurora-il.org FIESTAS PATRIAS Fri Sept 16, Sat 17, Sun 18. Parade at 10 a.m. on Sunday A 3-Day music festival recognizing our local Hispanic heritage and culture. Free. North River Street Park along River and Vine Streets in downtown Aurora. “Fiestas Patrias” on Facebook.
COMING SOON
´ ´ COPLEY CINEMATHEQUE Tue Oct 11 at 6:30 Local film society City Cineastes hosts extraordinary movies that you should see. $8. Copley Theatre in North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd. citycineastes@gmail.com.
LIMITED RUNS & SHOWINGS WARM LIGHT/COOL SHADOWS: WORKS BY RUTH VAN SICKLE FORD Thru Aug 12 A beloved painter and teacher, Ford paved the way for many watercolorists. Open Wed-Fri, noon to 4. Free. Aurora Public Art Commission at the David L. Pierce Center, 20 E. Downer Place. (630) 256-3340. aurora-il.org LUXEMBOURG – USA: A MIGRATION STORY Thru July 31 The Aurora Historical Society hosts the exhibit courtesy of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society. Open Wed-Fri, noon to 4. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E.Downer. (630) 906-0650. www.aurorahistory.net.
Downtown Auroran
AURORA FARMERS MARKET Saturdays from 7:30 to noon 99 years of eating fresh and buying local. Local farm produce, food demos, music, knife sharpening and more. Aurora Transportation Center, 233 N. Broadway Ave. (630) 256-3370. ART AT CITY HALL: THE COMMON THREAD Thru Feb 3 Two-dimensional pieces from a group of suburban artists. Open Mon-Fri, 8-5. City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place. aurora-il.org RIVERFRONT PLAYHOUSE Call for current schedule. Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 Water Street Mall, is a 90 seat, not-for-profit theatre located next to City Hall on the Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora. $12-$15. 630-8979496. www.riverfrontplayhouse.com. Reservations recommended for most shows.
MONTHLY EVENTS DAAM! First Thursday evenings at 7:30 Join artists of all kinds at informal Downtown Aurora Arts Mixers. Chef Amaury at 33 West, 33 W. New York St. Everyone is welcome. Find Downtown Auroran on Facebook for more information. LOUCHE PUCE MARKET Second Saturdays thru Sept. from 9 to 3 Find vintage treasures as vendors set up along Water Street Mall ala flea market style. FREE. Water St. between Downer Pl. and Galena Blvd. next to City Hall. “Louche Puce Market” on Facebook.
Mask by Ruth Van Sickle Ford. Ford’s work is on exhibit at Aurora Public Art Commission’s third floor gallery in the D.L.P. Art and History Center in downtown Aurora. 13
Bike
By Teresa Fiehn
Downtown Voices
Water Street Mall (between Downer & Galena)
Vintage • Antique • Collectible • Retro
Water Street Mall (between Downer & Galena)
Vintage • Antique • Collectible • Retro
louchepuce@gmail.com
A Whitewater Park in Downtown Aurora Guest column by Charlie Zine
It has been almost three years since a group of
local kayakers brought former Olympic kayaker HISTORIC AUTO ROW CAR SHOW Scott Shipley to Aurora to seek his help in re-
Sunday, Aug. 21 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
BRIAN J. HIPP HIPP LAW OFFICE Attorney at Law
designing the Aurora canoe chute so that it Phone 630-844-1234 actually works as intended. 630-631-5192 The initial goal was just to fix the canoe chute, but Shipley was Fax 630-859-0205 1026 Prairie the opportunity to modify both of downtown Aurora’s dams Email bjhippx2@aol.com Aurora, IL 60506 d-class whitewater parks. During the same visit, Shipley saw s channels around the North Aurora and Montgomery dams be created. These projects, plus the state of the art by-pass rrently being constructed in Yorkville, could create the world’s ewater Park Water Trail!‛ Any whitewater park is a regional attraction. But these four r features in a 15-mile stretch of the Fox River (so close to Chicago) would create a world-class attraction, and downtown Homemade soups, uld be the center of it all. Aurora’s two dams could be modified sandwiches and evels of whitewater parks. In the east channel, an international baked goods petitive kayak venue could host major events. The west channel a safe ‚play course‛ where whitewater kayakers could do 18 W. Downer Pl. h as, flips, jumps, Eskimo rolls and ‚surf‛ the stationary waves between River the drop structures. Families in rafts and swimmers in tubes and Stolp h the proper protective gear, join in on the fun. And even would find it aWater fascinating Street Galena) Water Street Mall (between Downer & Galena) 6 3 0 projects, .show. 8Mall 9 gather 6(between . 0 1Downer 8 1 &seek To help promote these support and • Vintage • Antique • Collectible Retro Vintage • • Collectible • Retro 630.897.3343 • Antique theriversedgecafe.com we have created a non-profit organization called Fox River rts (FRWS). FRWS will work with local governments and state o coordinate efforts to apply for grants and build the venues. Summer 2011 is to 14 turn the Fox River into a true public park that isDowntown safe and Auroran to the general public, and provides real economic and cultural
Antique, Specialty Cars and Trucks
FREE to
spectators!
More than a cup of coffee...a place for minds to meet!
River’s Edge Café
Hi s t o r ic a l N o t e s Limestone Artifacts, 1926
Southwest corner of Downer & Broadway
As a former preservation commissioner with the city, Zine brought them to the attention of the commission, who notified the Fox Valley Park District, who then pulled the stones from the river to use as a sculptural feature on the trail. When they were first discovered, it was unclear where the carved limestones originated. A feature article in the BeaconNews requesting information from the public brought no response. When preservation volunteer and East Aurora High School teacher Julie DeNood, of Aurora, was researching the Aurora National Bank building in 2000, she obtained photos from the bank, built in 1926, and discovered that the carvings exactly matched those along the trail. Later, the preservation division staff became concerned regarding incidences of graffiti on the stones, and with concurrence from the park district, began plans to relocate the stones as a sculptural element in a more visible location downtown. In an effort to reconstruct the limestone pieces as a sculptural element downtown, the city’s preservation staff first wanted to be sure that all possible pieces were unearthed. They requested that a diving team search underwater adjacent to the bank where the previous pieces were discovered. In April 2004, the Aurora Fire Department succeeded in finding additional decoratively carved limestone pieces from the bank building underwater in the Fox River during routine diving training; about three more pieces were found.
Decorated stone blocks in downtown Aurora have an intriguing and wet story. Architecture
The limestone pieces originally formed a central monumental arched entry to the Aurora National Bank building (now Banco Popular), but were removed in 1957 when the building was modernized. They feature decorative bas-relief carvings of urns spouting foliage, and individual stylized floral motifs.
History
Several years ago, Auroran Charlie Zine spotted hand carved limestone blocks along the banks of the Fox River while using a new portion of the trail along the east bank. Zine, an outdoor enthusiast, said the stones seemed to be built into the riverbank and used as landfill for Veterans Island.
Timeline of stones
1926 - used as bank arch
Summer 2011
1957 - tossed in river
The city then placed them in the corner lot at Downer Place and Broadway Avenue after city staff negotiated a long-term agreement with ComEd, who owns the land. An intern designed plans for a park incorporating the stones, but it never came to fruition. Editor’s note: Jan Mangers headed up this project when she worked as director of the preservation commission. Mangers was previously featured in Downtown Auroran Magazine as one of the “Downtown Dozen.” Mangers left the position in early 2011 when she, along with 30 other employees, took a voluntary buyout from the city after the city released the year’s budget, which included massive historic preservation and public art cuts. Rena Church, public art director, took over many of Mangers’ duties.
1990s - discovered 2004 - more stones discovered
Downtown Auroran
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