City Employee Recognized for Work Coordinating Employee Art Contest

The National Arts Program®, sponsored by the National Arts Program Foundation, recently recognized Deana Miller, Manager of the City of Aurora's Art in Public Places Program, with their "5th Anniversary Award" for the five years that she has coordinated the City of Aurora Employees and Their Families Art Exhibit.

  

The goal of the exhibit is to encourage and develop artistic talent among city employees and their families. It provides an opportunity to foster creativity among city employees outside of their daily jobs, which strengthens problem-solving and communication skills, teamwork and innovation.

 

"We know and appreciate all the hard work that goes into putting on the NAP [National Arts Program] Art Exhibition and would like to offer this small token of our appreciation for bringing forward the exceptional talent of the City of Aurora employees and their families," wrote Jackie Szafara, Executive Director of The National Arts Program Foundation, in a letter to Miller. "Aurora is a great example of what our show is doing across the country."

 

More than 360 city of Aurora employees and their family members have produced 453 artworks in the five years that the city of Aurora has participated. This year's exhibit will remain on display through Dec. 15 at the Aurora Municipal Center's Mezzanine Gallery.

 

This year, the National Arts Program Foundation, based in Malvern, Penn., provided a $2,400 grant for the cash prizes, exhibit expenses and two continuing education scholarship grants that the Community College of Aurora matched. Metech, Inc., and the City of Aurora's Planning and Development Services Department provided an additional $275 for awards in the new reuse and recycled art category.

 

Since its inception 28 years ago, more than 450 cities throughout the United States have participated in The National Arts Program®.
 

Written by Julie Patterson 

Pictured Left: Patti Bateman (left), director of the city of Aurora's Library & Cultural Services department, presents Deana Miller, manager of the city's Art in Public Places Program, with the '5th Anniversary Award' from The National Art Program. The presentation took place during the Aug. 18 award ceremony for the '5th Annual City of Aurora Employees and Their Families Art Exhibit.'