AURORA | The City of Aurora is seeking feedback from community members on its cultural arts plan through an online survey and input sessions later this month.
“The city of Aurora is planning its approach to arts and culture. The results of this survey will help the city and the Cultural Affairs Commission design a cultural arts plan that meets the community’s needs,” the city said on its website.
The plan will help direct the city’s cultural offering for 2023 through 2027.
The survey, which can be found online, takes about five minutes and will remain open through Feb. 2.
The city will also be hosting two community input sessions where people can share more in-depth feedback. The sessions are scheduled for:
- Thursday, Jan. 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Tallyn’s Reach Library, 23911 E. Arapahoe Road
- Tuesday, Jan. 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Aurora Fox Theatre, 9900 E. Colfax Avenue
A light meal will be served and interpretation services are available, according to the city’s website. RSVP with which session you plan to attend and any dietary restrictions or interpretation needs to [email protected] or 719-257-3262.
Just don’t turn this into a woke charade for diversity, equity, and inclusion which will only result in the city pouring more money into venues where everyone is afraid to go, such as the Colfax corridor’s People’s Building, the Fox Theater and a smattering of taxpayer-subsidized art studios. Focus on up-and-coming Aurora near the Gaylord, Aurora Highlands or SE Aurora.
Dont
Over the last 30+ years Aurora’s been victimized by a Ponzi scheme known as the Denver Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Most don’t pay attention to the minor .1% sales tax. But under close examination, that .1% equates to $7 to 8 million per year collected in Aurora with 90%+ going elsewhere.
The Denver SCFD and Denver’s five Tier 1 venues don’t want you to know that. Nor do their lobbyists, the party fundraisers or the state party leadership—both sides. The social network around those five is fertile ground. Holy for some.
They also don’t want to discuss SCFD’s history of abusing minority grantees. See “
The Bullies Have Won” at https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2016/04/13/bullies-have-won-in-the-scfd-fight-say-gagged-arts-leaders/
Until the Aurora City Council and our delegation at the state capitol come together on a plan to keep Aurora’s SCFD tax in Aurora, this cultural arts plan is a shortsighted exercise in folly.
I suspect the new Unaffiliated CMs to be elected in November might agree. Those who continue to defend the status quo or sit slack-jawed should be shown the door.
Quit wasting money