Aurora Public Library is partnering with the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) for two art exhibits at two libraries by artists Juan Fuentes and Christine Nguyen. Both artworks are to be created with contributions from the community.
Juan Fuentes is a Denver-based documentary photographer born in Chihuahua, Mexico. His work captures everyday life and tells stories of contemporary America, highlighting the immigrant and Chicano experience. His collaborative photography exhibit will include photos from Aurora community members reflecting their everyday experiences and showcasing their pride in the city. The art project focuses on celebrating Aurora's diversity, uniting the city's different communities by compiling community-generated perspectives and images.
In August, Fuentes taught two photography workshops at Aurora Central Library, where community members explored the joy of photography and were empowered to document their own experiences. Participants will be sharing their photos with Fuentes for the exhibit, which will be on display at Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway, starting Sept. 30.
Christine Nguyen is an Aurora-based artist born and raised in California. Her cyanotype (solar print) mural exhibitions have been shown nationally and internationally. For this project, Nguyen will present a community-created cyanotype mural and photo-based flags highlighting the natural world and celebrating the Aurora community through its individuals. Throughout the library, hidden objects will be waiting to be discovered as part of a scavenger hunt. The community will be invited to explore, interact and find the objects represented in Nguyen’s flags.
Nguyen will offer a free cyanotype workshop for all ages to participate in the creation of the cyanotype mural at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 9898 E. Colfax Ave., the place where the mural will be exhibited. At print time, there was no set date for installation, but it is expected to take place in mid-October. To learn more about the project, visit AuroraLibrary.org.