'Aurora' is a public art sculpture crafted by Albert Paley and installed at the entrance of the Roanoke Regional Airport. This piece has an abstract appearance and bright colors. These features highlight the contrast between the sculpture and the airport terminal.

Dedicated on November 1st, 1990, the sculpture “Aurora” is located in front of the terminal of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. Artists throughout the United States were invited to a competition to design artwork for the airport terminal. The idea of this competition came from the Regional Airport Commission and the Arts Council of Roanoke who wanted to have a marker for the new terminal at the airport. Out of three finalists, Albert Paley was selected as the winner in March 1989. Paley visited Roanoke to view the new terminal before submitting his proposal and thought his sculpture could help make a “visual transition” from the surrounding landscape to the building. The sculpture did face several challenges including criticism of it being too pricey and the problem of shipping it through multiple states. Despite these challenges, the sculpture was still created, and the North American Van Lines Inc. donated its service to transport the sculpture to Roanoke. After Paley made the sculpture at his studio in Rochester, New York, it was shipped to the airport. Once the piece arrived, riggers from Roanoke-Based American Constructors Inc. installed it on a prepared concrete panel outside the terminal. Susan Cole, who was the executive director of the Arts Council at the time, said that “the sculpture’s shapes connote the feeling of flight. The sculpture opens upward, drawing the eyes to the sky.” As stated on Paley’s website about his piece, “the organic appearance and bright colors are meant to contrast the geometric nature of the airport terminal. Aurora acts as a staple for the courtyard that extends from the main airport entrance. With a polychrome finish, this sculpture stands at twenty feet tall.”

This sculpture was made possible by the Regional Airport Commission and the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge.

About the artist:
Albert Paley is one of today’s leading sculptures. He is an endowed Professor and artist-in-residence at the Rochester Institue of Technology. He is not only known for his large scale sculpture vut also for his monumental gates, railings, screens, and other functional objects. His other notable works include “Portal Gates” at the Ranwick Gallery, Washington D.C.; “Stairway Sculptures” at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Houstan, Texas; and “Pedestrian Entrance Gate” at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia. Check out Albert Paley's website here at albertpaley.com

Sourced from:
Information was obtained from documents by the Arts Council of the Roanoke Valley.