The City of Aurora’s Public Art Division will unveil a new exhibit on Friday, April 3, that marks the homecoming of a world-renowned sculptor and historian.

Charles Smith’s “A Truth in Stone and Spirit” features a profound blend of personal memory, news stories and national narratives.

Using a unique technique he calls “weatherization,” Smith constructs life-sized figures from found materials and cement mixtures, allowing the outdoor elements to create a natural patina that symbolizes the resilience and endurance of the African American spirit, according to a news release from the City of Aurora.

“Everything moves along extemporaneously as God moves me,” Smith said in a news release. “He shows me how to do it, where to put it, and how to construct it.”

Smith, a Marine Corps Purple Heart veteran and ordained minister, founded the African American Heritage Museum and the Black Veterans Archive to serve as a pedagogical tool for youth. His work challenges traditional monuments by elevating the stories of everyday heroes and historical figures, according to the release.

“We invite the community to engage with a visionary who turned a private struggle into a public sanctuary,” Curator Sangeeta Pande said in the release. “We celebrate not only the artist and the Marine Corps veteran, but the historian who continues to teach us that through stone, spirit, and memory, we can find the path to a collective homecoming.”

This exhibition offers a rare opportunity for the community to engage with a living legend whose work is preserved by major institutions, including the Smithsonian and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

The public is invited to attend the free opening reception, taking place from 6 to 9 p.m. Additionally, Smith will host a public meet-and-greet from 2 to 4 p.m. April 17.

Aurora Public Art is located at 20 E. Downer Place in Downtown Aurora. Gallery hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The exhibit is set to run from April 3 through April 24.