Aurora selects local artist Christine Nguyen for sesquicentennial public art at Mission Viejo Park

Aurora City Council committee members heard a staff presentation recommending the commission of local artist Christine Nguyen to install a public-art piece at the northern tip of Mission Viejo Park as part of statewide and national sesquicentennial commemorations.

City staff said the proposal, titled “Constellations of Time,” was developed to align with the city’s strategic plan and the statewide initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the nation and the 150th anniversary of the state. "The public art proposal Constel­lations of Time aligns with the request for qualifications. It is integrated into library and cultural services' contribution to Aurora's strategic plan," presenter Roberta Bloom said when introducing the project.

The project team reported a competitive selection process that drew 132 applications in less than four weeks. The art-selection panel and Historic Preservation staff independently identified the northern tip of Mission Viejo Park as the preferred site; the panel recommended Christine Nguyen, who lives a few blocks from the site, citing her proposal’s local connections and its use of animal shapes tied to constellation imagery that complements an existing planetary theme at the park.

Bloom said Nguyen’s proposal emphasizes an extensive community-engagement component that would use the city’s Engage Aurora platform. The budget allocates a substantial artist design fee, uses a local fabricator to reduce shipping and installation costs, and includes a $5,000 contingency. Bloom also noted the artist has offered to produce a printed coloring book and to run a cyanotype workshop; the presentation said the basic workshop would be free and that additional workshop fees or printing costs would be paid from the $5,000 contingency if needed.

"She brings to this project a hopeful and forward-thinking perspective while also commemorating history," Bloom said, adding that the Art in Public Places Commission and the Cultural Affairs Commission have enthusiastically supported the selection. The presentation said the artist previously connected with Aurora through a residency that involved the Martin Luther King Library and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

Ginger White Brunetti, director of Library and Cultural Services, offered to arrange a fuller briefing about the statewide sesquicentennial effort and suggested bringing Scott Williams from the Aurora History Museum to a future meeting to explain the broader program. "We're happy to have Scott Williams from the museum come and speak to what the museum is doing for this effort," Brunetti said.

Council members asked how the project would be promoted. Staff said they will coordinate with communications staff, naming Abraham Morales as a contact, to ensure citywide outreach beyond Engage Aurora. Council member Mario Hancock expressed support for the project’s cultural emphasis: "I'm always interested in anything art centric, and I know Roberta is working very hard on this sesquicentennial event. I am just really excited about this art piece," Hancock said.

No formal vote or motion to approve the project was recorded in the meeting transcript; the item was presented for committee information and staff discussion. Staff indicated they are ready to move forward to meet the firm deadline for the statewide commemoration and recommended returning to the committee with additional information. The committee asked staff to coordinate a follow-up presentation from the museum and history team at the next meeting so the broader council can learn more about the statewide program and Aurora’s role.

The committee also discussed logistics for future agendas and confirmed staff coverage for the next meeting.