Après Ski

STARWOOD, FOREVER. Aspen, Colorado, is known for incredible slopes, celebrity sightings, gorgeous springtimes, and high-end shopping, all tucked within the Elk Mountains and White River National Forest of the Rocky Mountains. Aspen should also be known as an under-the-radar but remarkable arts destination that gives stiff competition to other small-town darlings like Marfa, Texas; Palm Springs, California; and Beacon, New York. Aspen’s peak place for art is its five-year-old architectural wonder, the Aspen Art Museum, designed by Shigeru Ban.

“When I became director in 2005, I embraced a programmatic initiative of ‘art in unexpected places’—to break down the idea that art is somehow separate from other aspects of everyday life,” says Aspen Art Museum director Heidi Zuckerman. “In addition to programming our gallery exhibitions with the most important artists working globally, we commissioned artwork on ski-lift tickets and on mountain exhibitions and projects. Through the generosity of our donors, we were also able to offer admission-free programming, expand our educational and public offerings, and
then, finally, to realize construction of a new building in Aspen’s downtown core. We take our mission of providing access to art, artists, and ideas very seriously, helping elevate discussions through providing global interactions with the museum and Aspen in turn.” The Aspen Art Museum is the first building in the United States to be designed by Japanese architect Ban. Comprised of renewable materials, it is an ultra-modern addition to the Victorian-era mining-town aesthetic of Aspen. Its gallery spaces are ever-changing and tailor-made to the artist’s request—making all exhibitions at the museum site-specific.

The rooftop terrace features rotating works by artists such as Robert Montgomery, Larry Bell, and Lynda Benglis and also serves as a gathering space for parties, exhibition openings, and concerts. The unobstructed view of Aspen Mountain is a breathtaking reminder that art and nature have always been complementary. The town’s museum isn’t the only place to see truly world-class names in the contemporary art world. The local galleries scattered across the eight-block radius of downtown Aspen offer a selection of artworks for sale that rival contemporary wings across the nation. During the recent o-season, a couple of Ed Ruschas, a Damien Hirst, a Richard Serra, and a Sol LeWitt all hung in a quaint space. Prices for these modest-in-size pieces start at a half-million.

Other art opportunities include Aspen’s year-long celebration of the Bauhaus centennial. Artist and architect Herbert Bayer, an alum and then a teacher at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, came to Aspen in 1946 at the invitation of town developer (and Aspen Institute founder) Walter Paepcke. Bayer’s architectural designs, such as the Sun Deck at the top of Aspen Mountain and his renovations at the Hotel Jerome and the Wheeler Opera House, brought an international and
modern sensibility to mid-century Aspen. Walking tours and exhibits at the Aspen Institute and activities across the Roaring Fork River Valley are among the summertime activities commemorating the Bauhaus.

In 2018, Ideal Power by Shepard Fairey was installed as Aspen’s first legal public mural. A permanent installation, the wall is near the corner of Durant and Hunter avenues in downtown Aspen. As the city continues to embrace contemporary art it also continues to honor its beginnings. Mayor Steven Skadron agrees. “I love the 5 cent cigar mural painted on the Crystal Palace. It’s eye-catching, a remnant of our past, and is a snapshot of a progressive mountain community feeling responsible for the preservation of its history.”