Aurora’s Colfax sculpture inspired by King’s kindness

AURORA | A dreaming new resident is moving onto East Colfax Avenue this weekend, marking the end of a process that has been more than a decade in the making.

Aurora city council members and officials from the city’s Art in Public Places Commission are set to unveil a seven-foot tall brass statue of Martin Luther King Jr. Sept. 26 with a short ceremony in front of the sculpture’s new home beside the MLK Jr. Library at 9898 E. Colfax Ave.

“In Aurora, we nurture the theme of one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most important messages: equality,” Renie Peterson, city councilwoman for Ward II, said in a statement. “We can then hold, in equal measure, the ideals of tolerance, respect, and acceptance allowing us to learn to embrace our differences — not let them distance us from one another.”

Peterson is one of several officials who has been a proponent of adding a statue to the plaza in front of the library since the facility was overhauled in the spring of 2004.

The city selected Virginia-based sculptor Jeff Hall to create the statue last year after reviewing dozens of applications from sculptors around the country.  Hall, who has also created sculptures of other dignitaries including Vice President Dan Quail and the first president of Turkey, said that he drew inspiration for the piece from King’s bold personality.

“When I come up with a pose (for a sculpture), I usually come up with a list of words or phrases that describe the person, so that when somebody sees (the piece), they can see that word,” he said. “With Dr. King, that’s passion and determination, but he was also nonviolent, so with those words you need kindness and gentleness and I think it comes through in the piece.”

The statue shows King clenching a copy of his “I have a dream” speech in his left hand and holding out his right arm and hand with an open palm.

The city approved $90,500 for the completion of the piece — a sum that included insurance and travel costs as well as additional landscaping and benches for the area where it will be permanently displayed.

Initially, the Art in Public Places Commission had proposed about $60,000 for only a bust of King. However, council later approved additional money for a full-sized statue at the behest of Sally Mounier, councilwoman for Ward I.

“It’s going to be beautiful — I think it’s going to bring tears to people’s eyes,” Mounier said. “People are going to be very impressed with the statue and I look forward to 30-40 years where people are going to drive down Colfax, look at that statue and think of Martin Luther King and what a great icon he was and is for all.”

Hall, Peterson and Mayor Steve Hogan will give remarks at the unveiling ceremony outside of the library beginning at 10 a.m.