Kids love buttons and elevators. So here I am again after a one-hour walk in the Arboretum located close to the Town Hall, we ended up in the Aurora Town Hall taking an elevator.
I must say that our Town Hall is one amazing gallery. Everywhere I looked, outside the building, inside the building – there was always something to observe. I have only been in the hall a few times, but every time I am there I always stop to look at the art.
When I first visited Town Hall a few years ago, the quilt hanging on the wall between the first and second floors was something I always admired. To make a quilt like this one takes a lot of energy, attention to detail, and patience.
If I am not mistaken, the quilt represents Aurora’s heritage places or historic places of interest.
Now this is where I was wrong. I had never made it to the third floor before, so I always thought that the second floor was the Skylight gallery.
That day, while admiring all the artwork on the walls, a receptionist lady informed us about the Skylight gallery on the third floor. “Nice, more to discover,” I thought to myself.
Walking up to the third floor to the Skylight gallery, we found this intriguing collage on the wall.
Finally, we made it all the way up via stairs. Matthew really wanted to take the elevator ride, so I told him we would do that from the third floor.
When we got there, the gallery did not look as dramatic as described on the Town’s website.
“In Aurora, nurturing a high quality of life for residents includes fostering a love of the arts. Right in the Town Hall on the third floor, the Skylight Gallery is a fabulous open space topped by a dramatic skylight – an area devoted to exhibitions of work by local and area painters and sculptors. Backboards and track lighting are set up to display artwork in a striking setting, and admission to this ever-changing art show is free.” Source: Town of Aurora.
For the month of September, a captivating art exhibit featuring Bud Switzer and Mariann O’Neill was showcased.
So what’s the fuss about the Skylight gallery? Well, that day there was too much sunlight shining into the gallery. Light creates shadows, so the holes poked in the black boards were distracting me from the art. More imperfections are visible in intense sunlight. Not to mention, the sun’s UV light can be damaging to the artwork, causing it to fade. In my opinion, art galleries should always have subdued lighting.
That being said, I still believe it’s a nice gesture for the Town to provide free space to showcase local artists. However, it’s a shame that only painters and sculptors are allowed. Perhaps one day they will include local photographers as well. Just something to consider.
And that was it. We found our way to the elevator on the third floor and out we went. But just before we entered the elevator, I found this sketch collage on the wall. I had to be pulled away because someone was ready for the elevator ride. Technology helps in this matter – I took a snapshot to enjoy it later.
So next time, if you’ve never been to the Skylight gallery before, remember it is on the third floor.
Heads up. I visited the Skylight gallery today and I must say – that was one dramatic and captivating showcase for the month of October. More in the next post.
