Educator Pamela Schallhorn extolled the virtues of soliciting creative input for downtown Aurora’s revitalization, calling on citizens to “unleash Aurora’s creative economy” in a recent presentation made in DeKalb.
As a community economic development educator at University of Illinois Extension (UIE) in several Illinois counties, Schallhorn works with stakeholders, community leaders, economic development professionals and the public to address local needs. She told citizens gathered from the communities of Aurora, Batavia, Galena, Rockford and surrounding areas that sometimes “it’s OK to break the rules” in order to make progress.
"It needs to be allowed to happen," Schallhorn said, explaining the importance of relying on local talent and skills to sustain a creative economy. She called for a flexible approach and emphasized the need for thinking of people as assets.
Aurora currently serves as home to many art galleries, studios, museums, theaters and more. Grassroots occasions, such as the increasingly popular “First Fridays” springing up nationwide, are catching on as well as specific festival-esque events.
“How else can we create and support a market for our creatives?” Schallhorn asked. “I'd like to see artists hired to design bike racks and murals. Artists can work with the city to create signage, kiosks and other elements essential to a downtown. And downtown is ripe for more public art, more creative collaboration and more creativity.”
Alerts Sign-up