cover
TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Chris Ragona, Director of Community Services
DATE: 5/29/2025
SUBJECT:
A resolution to Select GNV Urban Art as a Consultant to Use Existing Funds for the Lumenaura Festival 2025, the City's Second Annual Interactive Light and Sound Experience
PURPOSE:
The Second Annual Lumenaura Light Art Festival invites the public to explore illuminated art installations throughout Downtown Aurora from October 10-26th with a featured weekend of live music, roving performers, and interactive displays October 10-12, 2025. Lumenaura is a premier cultural event celebrating the magic of light art, creativity, and community engagement. The event brings together residents, visitors, and artists for a vibrant, family-friendly experience featuring immersive art, entertainment, and food vendors.
BACKGROUND:
The inaugural Lumenaura Light Festival took place during October 2024 with the main weekend event held between October 11-13, 2024. City staff estimates that 15,000 visitors attended the main weekend, with many more visiting throughout the month to experience the installations. Throughout the planning and implementation process, city staff gathered information on the succusses and areas for improvements to the planning process. Additionally, during and after the completion of the event, surveys were conducted to gather feedback from vendors and attendees. A summary of the surveys is below:
|
Type |
Responses Received |
Suggested Areas of Improvement |
|
Vendor/Artist |
13 |
-Enhanced marketing and promotion, and website integration -Recognition of artists -Enhanced wayfinding and signage -Improvements to communication, community, and collaboration -Payment processing procedure |
|
Attendee |
184 |
-More food trucks -Increased seating -Larger variety in live entertainment -Bigger event space -More integration with local businesses and community -Increased amenities and infrastructure |
|
Local Businesses |
7 |
-Decentralization of light exhibits -Event merchandise -Enhanced marketing and promotion, and website integration |
Additionally, during debrief meetings with City staff, several ideas were discussed to improve the planning and implementation of the next light fest. These included allowing lead time for art installation, consolidating several subcontracts into a single contract, and revising the festival map to better accommodate different sites across the downtown area.
Based on feedback and City staff experience, a new procurement process was developed for 2025 to streamline artist selection, planning, contract management, payments, and communication through a single vendor and single point of contact for the majority of art installations.
To find a partner capable of elevating the festival's offerings and solidifying Aurora's "City of Lights" reputation, a request for proposal opportunity (RFP) was launched on March 4,2025. The selected company will be responsible for coordinating specific aspects of the event, including creative concept development, logistical planning, production, and execution, all while maintaining a focus on quality, safety, and community involvement. A copy of the RFP is attached and labeled as Exhibit A.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on March 12, 2025, and final submittals were due on March 26, 2025. A total of 9 proposals were received, one did not meet the requirements and was disqualified. These were reviewed on a 100-point scale across five categories:
Creativity and concept
Experience and expertise
Budget alignment
Community engagement
Operational excellence
The submitted proposals ranged from small-scale interactive art installations during the main weekend to comprehensive solutions that included larger art installations, marketing, and logistics and installation/deinstallation support. A panel of City staff members reviewed and scored each proposal. GNV Urban Art (GNV) received the highest average score. See Exhibit B for GNV’s submitted RFP and Exhibit C for scoring details.
City staff met with the selected vendor to refine deliverables, incorporating feedback from the 2024 festival and elements from other proposals. They also conducted reference checks on GRV's planning team, as outlined in the RFP. Based upon the meeting discussion, City staff are recommending the following elements as part of this contract*:
-Pixel Starscape - Water Street Mall
-Project Mapping (GAR Military Museum)
-Interactive Light Sculpture Garden (Mundy Park)
-LED Bonfire (Across from Post Office)
-Laser Show (Leland Tower)
-The Last Ocean (Site to be determined)
-Interactive Dance Projection (Leland Tower)
-Barrel Boys (Site to be determined)
-David L Pierce Gallery Activation
-Roving performers
*All site locations final designs are tentative and will be finalized during summer 2025.
A copy of GNV’s original proposal and revised budget is included as Exhibit B.
In addition to the contracted elements, City staff are planning a variety of live entertainment and roving performances during the main weekend, which will be complemented with food and drink vendors and giveaways. This festival will remain free and open to the public.
City staff are coordinating with the selected vendor to finalize the contract. The total dollar amount for this contract is not to exceed $415,000, with funds allocated from:
101-1360-450.50-66
101-1360-450.32-20
See Exhibit D for the draft contract.
City staff is also requesting that an additional $50,000 in Lumenaura contingency funds be available for consideration as part of a modified contract approved by the Director of Purchasing. This will not increase the estimated cost of the event, and allow further flexibility for the selected vendor and city to hire artists, purchase materials, and better manage tracking and payment processing. These funds can be allocated from:
215-1360-450.32-99
DISCUSSION:
Lumenaura 2025 is expected to boost tourism and brand Aurora as a cultural destination. The event will host international artists in visual arts, new media (technology in the arts), and performance art, using projection mapping and light installations to transform Downtown. Additional programming includes entertainment, food trucks, and family-friendly activities.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Lumenaura 2025 will positively impact Aurora by offering a world-class light and sound festival that fosters a family-friendly, community-centered atmosphere.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
City staff recommend that City Council approve the resolution to accept the proposal from GNV Urban Art’s to use existing funds for Lumenaura Festival 2025.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution to select GNV Urban Art as a Consultant to Use Existing Funds for the Lumenaura Festival 2025, the City's Second Annual Interactive Light and Sound Experience.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, Lumenaura Light Art Festival invites the public to explore illuminated art installations across Downtown Aurora from October 10-26, 2025, and to enjoy a feature weekend of live music, roving performers, and additional displays October 10-12, 2025. Lumenaura is an economic development tool to draw tourism and to continue to brand Aurora as an artistic place to live, work, and play; and
WHEREAS, City staff released a formal request March 4, 2025 to solicit proposals from artists across the country and worldwide. City staff from Public Art, Community Services, Communications, and Purchasing reviewed the eight proposals based on creativity and concept, experience and expertise, budget alignment, community engagement, and operational excellence; and
WHEREAS, City staff made recommendations based on the review scores to maximize the budget currently available and to provide a wide variety of experiences for visitors to engage with; and
WHEREAS, The total dollar amount for this contract is $415,000 with funds available in 101-1360-450.50-66 and 101-1360-450.32-20; and
WHEREAS, The Director of Purchasing may increase the amount of the contract by up to $50,000 utilizing City of Aurora Lumenaura 2025 Contingency Funds with funds available in 215-1360-450.32-99; and
WHEREAS, City staff are currently working with GNV Urban Art to finalize the contract; the standard contract language has been attached to this Resolution as Exhibit D, and
WHEREAS, Lumenaura programming will draw tourism to Aurora during the festival, and continually brand the City as a destination for the arts. Lumenaura will host artists in visual, new media (technology in the arts), and performance art to Aurora to transform the downtown with projection mapping, colorful and interactive art installations, live entertainment, food trucks, and other family friendly entertainment, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: Approval to select GNV Urban Art as a consultant and to utilize existing budgeted funds for Lumenaura programming, as defined above