The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA) has honored The People’s Building, a vibrant cornerstone of the Aurora Cultural Arts District (ACAD), with the 2025 Arts & Business Partnership Award, which is a prestigious recognition highlighting the venue’s contributions to arts and culture to Aurora and the metro area.
In Colorado, the creative industries contribute more than $13 billion annually to the state’s economy, according to the Colorado Creative Industries Office. In the metro area, arts and culture have proven to be a crucial component of economic vitality, generating tourism, supporting local businesses and creating jobs.
“The arts aren’t just entertainment, they’re an economic engine,” said Ginger White Brunetti, director of Library and Cultural Services, the department that now provides oversight for The People’s Building. “When someone buys a ticket to a show at The People’s Building or the Aurora Fox Arts Center, they’re also likely dining at a local restaurant or doing some shopping nearby. That spending makes a difference in our community.”
Library and Cultural Services is also now the city liaison to ACAD, which is a certified Colorado Creative District. ACAD and the city have a long-standing relationship following strategies identified in the city’s Fletcher Plaza Urban Renewal Plan and ongoing efforts to revitalize key areas of the city through urban renewal and promote sustainable growth.
The People's Building joins the Cultural Services portfolio of venues and programs: the Aurora Fox Arts Center, the Aurora History Museum & Historic Sites, the Bicentennial Arts Center, Aurora Arts Education, and the Art in Public Places Program. “With all these under the same umbrella and the direct work ahead alongside ACAD, we will be creating a cohesive vision for the arts and culture in the city, in alignment with the city’s Cultural Arts Plan and the Fletcher Plaza Urban Renewal Plan,” said White Brunetti.
The People's Building kept its name from the previous owner, a furniture store, and it was purchased and restored by the city of Aurora in 2017. It is primarily an arts space, offering an affordable option for artists across many genres. Its space is flexible and multifaced –-composed of two galleries, a conference room and The Flex, a multipurpose room with 190 retractable seats— and can host anything from art exhibitions, concerts and plays to business meetings, fundraisers and comedy shows. In 2023 alone, it hosted over 340 events and 12,000 people. To learn more, visit ThePeoplesBuilding.com.