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Grand Design Inc.
Phone: (303) 693-8348
E-mail: bshanb9@gmail.com
Established 1984
,
Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister is being honored with a street named after her in Aurora, Colorado!
The city is renaming the ring road on the Aurora Municipal Center Campus to Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister Boulevard
. The dedication ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, as part of the city's Black History Month celebrations.
This honor recognizes her nearly four decades of service to the city, including:
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Civil Rights Leadership: Serving as a co-founder of the Aurora NAACP.
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Community Service: Her 36-year tenure at City Hall, where she led the Community Relations Division and worked as a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion.
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Non-Profit Work: Serving as President and CEO of Grand Design Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving African American culture through the arts
JOIN US IN OUR MISSION FOR PERFORMING ARTS IN AURORA, CO.
Grand Design Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Grand Design is dedicated to: preserving and keeping alive, primarily, the performing arts of African Americans, yet inclusive of other cultural performing arts; to provide entertainment and raise the awareness of the public and an appreciation by the public through performances, concerts, presentations, visual art exhibits and cultural awareness training for the benefit of the residents in Aurora and the metropolitan area.
The performing arts range from vocal and instrumental music, dance, and theatre to pantomime, sung verse, and beyond. They include numerous cultural expressions that reflect human creativity and that are also found, to some extent, in many other intangible cultural heritage domains.
MLK Jr.
African-American Heritage
Rodeo of Champions
OUR ORGANIZATION
MEET THE BOARD
Find out about the passionate people behind the scenes at Grand Design.
OUR SPONSORS
THOSE WHO SUPPORT US
See those that help make Grand Design successful. It could not be done without them.
Visit Our
Photo Gallery
Our Gallery depicts our rich history in the arts and our commitment to promoting the arts in Aurora.
TESTIMONIALS
"One of the best preservers of Cultural Performing Arts in Aurora and surrounding areas. Their passion to the Arts is incomparable! We appreciate all they have done with our group. They have ignited the minds of the entire class to include the Arts!
Pam C.
