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Aspen Art Museum

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Coordinates: 39°11′18″N 106°48′58″W / 39.188239°N 106.816014°W / 39.188239; -106.816014
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Aspen Art Museum
Aspen Art Museum Building designed by architect Shigeru Ban
Map
Established1979 (1979)
Location637 E. Hyman Avenue
Aspen, Colorado
United States
Coordinates39°11′18″N 106°48′58″W / 39.188239°N 106.816014°W / 39.188239; -106.816014
TypeArt museum
AccreditationAmerican Alliance of Museums.[1]
DirectorNicola Lees, Nancy and Bob Magoon Director
Websitewww.aspenartmuseum.org

Founded in 1979, the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) is a leading contemporary art museum located in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It operates as a non-collecting institution, showcasing a diverse program of exhibitions spanning various mediums, such as drawings, paintings, sculptures, multimedia installations, performance art, and electronic media. Dedicated to fostering cultural exchange and transformative ideas, AAM serves as a hub for international artists, scholars, policymakers, and innovators, aiming to shape both the museum landscape and the broader field of art.[2]

At its core, AAM is driven by a mission to support artists in cultivating bold concepts that challenge conventional norms and drive cultural evolution. Anchored in its values of inquiry, immediacy, and innovation, AAM actively pursues new initiatives, responds to current discourse with flexibility and adaptability, and invests in artists and thinkers to reinvent both the museum and the art field at large.[3]

Admission to the Aspen Art Museum is free, courtesy of Amy and John Phelan.[4]

History

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Founding and Early Years

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Due to Aspen’s stunning landscapes and remote location, and in no small part thanks to the efforts of Herbert Bayer, Ferenc Berko, and John Powers among other local luminaries, Aspen became “an outpost for avant-garde artists” including Ansel Adams, Buckminster Fuller, and Eero Saarinen. The Aspen Center of Contemporary Art (ACCA) established an artists-in-residence program from 1965-1970, which drew “many of the most important American artists of the day” including Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, and Christo and Jeanne Claude, among others.[5]

In 1976, a City of Aspen vote led to the acquisition and development of an out-of-use building at 590 North Mill Street, which became the Aspen Art Museum’s first home until 2014.[6] Built in 1888, the Hunter Creek Power Plant initially served the city’s silver mining operations and enabled Aspen to be the first city west of the Mississippi to have street lights powered by hydroelectric plant energy. The City of Aspen supported the rehabilitation of the disused structure, leading to the incorporation of the Aspen Center for the Visual Arts (ACVA) in November 1977. Philip Yenawine was selected as the first director in August 1978.[7]

The ACVA opened to the public on June 16, 1979, with the inaugural exhibition "American Portraits of the Sixties and Seventies," featuring works by Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Claes Oldenburg, and Andy Warhol.[8] Warhol’s first visit to Aspen “transpired over the Christmas-New Year holiday of 1981-82.”[9] In 1984, the ACVA was renamed the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) to better reflect its curatorial scope, established the AAM National Council, and received national accreditation through the American Association of Museums (now the American Alliance of Museums).[10]

Move to New Building

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Previously housed in a converted hydroelectric plant at 590 North Mill Street, the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) opened its new facility to the public at 637 East Hyman Avenue on August 9, 2014, .[6] The building is designed by architect Shigeru Ban, recipient of the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize.[11] It is Ban's first US museum to be constructed. The 33,000-square-foot, four-level facility houses eight exhibition spaces: six gallery spaces, a rooftop sculpture garden, and an outdoor commons. There are five main architectural features within the building's design plan: Grand Stair, Moving Glass Room Elevator, Woven Wood Screen, Wood Roof Truss and Walkable Skylights.[12]

Notable Programs

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Aspen ArtWeek & ArtCrush

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Aspen ArtWeek is the Aspen Art Museum's annual program of exhibitions, artist talks, performances, and live events which has become a major convening moment of the U.S. art world in the mountains each summer.[13] The week culminates in the longstanding ArtCrush fundraising auction and gala which sees works donated by major international artists and galleries sold in support of the museum’s artistic and educational program that continue to benefit its local and international communities.[14]

Each year, ArtWeek features headlining commissions and performances by renowned artists; recent highlights include: Ryan Trecartin (2024);[15] Poncili Creación (2023);[16] Korakrit Arunanondchai (2022); Jeffrey Gibson (2022);[17] and Precious Okoyomon (2021).[18]

Aspen Award for Art

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Every year since 2005, the Museum honors one or more artists with the Aspen Award for Art.[19] Previous winners include:

Education & Community Development

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AAM prioritizes access, experimentation and support for the wider Roaring Fork Valley community through the experience of art and artists.[24] Recurring programs include:

  • Artist Fellowship Program, which began in 2018-2019, provides a mentored professional development opportunity for artists working in the region.[25]
  • The Youth Art Expo is a biennial community art program that encompasses a multifaceted exhibition of work created by K–12-grade students from the Roaring Fork Valley (and beyond) alongside dynamic artist mentors.[26]
  • The museum’s Artist in Residence Program ran from 2006 to 2020.[27][28]

Accreditation

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The Aspen Art Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.[29] The museum is a member institution of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), which represents directors of art museums throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.[30] In March 2009, the AAM joined other Aspen area businesses through becoming certified under a jointly run City of Aspen Environmental Health Department and Canary Initiative “ZGreen” program. Environmental efforts undertaken by the AAM through the ZGreen program include recycling, composting, and zero waste events.[31]

References

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  1. ^ "Alliance Accredited Institutions" (PDF). American Alliance of Museums. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  2. ^ Sobel, D. (2004). One Hour Ahead: The avant-garde in Aspen 1945 – 2004. Aspen, CO: Aspen Art Press.
  3. ^ Carillo, Rubén (May 20, 2024). "Aspen Art Museum: A Catalyst for Bold Ideas and Artistic Exchange",Luster Magazine.
  4. ^ Oksenhorn, Stewart (May 28, 2008). “Aspen Art Museum now free to visit”, Aspen Times.
  5. ^ Sobel, D. (2004). One Hour Ahead: The avant-garde in Aspen 1945 – 2004. Aspen, CO: Aspen Art Press.
  6. ^ a b "Shigeru Ban's Aspen Art Museum opens". Dezeen.com. August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  7. ^ Sobel, D. (2004). One Hour Ahead: The avant-garde in Aspen 1945 – 2004. Aspen, CO: Aspen Art Press.
  8. ^ Loos, Ted (August 2, 2023). "A Tale of Aspen and the Art World", Palmer Magazine.
  9. ^ Travers, Andrew (December 2, 2021). "In Aspen with Andy Warhol", Aspen Times.
  10. ^ Dick Carter, Laura Thorne and Jules Augur (July 25, 2014). "The Aspen Art Museum: misconceptions and history", Aspen Times.
  11. ^ Shigeru Ban | The Pritzker Architecture Prize
  12. ^ Crow, Kelly (July 17, 2014). "Aspen Art Museum Readies New Building", The Wall Street Journal.
  13. ^ Girgis, Sarah (July 30, 2024). "Aspen ArtWeek 2024: Art fairs, exhibitions, events and more", Aspen Times.
  14. ^ Cassady, Daniel (July 11, 2024). "Aspen Art Museum will Share a Portion of Profits from Charity Auction with Artists", ARTnews.
  15. ^ Ozer, Samantha (August 23, 2024). "Inside Artist Ryan Trecartin’s Aspen Art Week Ensemble", Interview Magazine.
  16. ^ Reynolds, Jacqueline (July 30, 2023). "Aspen ArtWeek arrives: Museum brings an experiential program to the community", Aspen Daily News.
  17. ^ Yerebakan, Osman can (July 29, 2024). "This Summer, Aspen Continues Its Rise as a Major Art Destination", Galerie Magazine.
  18. ^ Rae, Amanda (September 9, 2021). "Food Matters: Precious Okoyomon grows ‘pleasure, abundance, and desire’ in AAM’s longest exhibition", Aspen Times.
  19. ^ Canvas Online, "Nairy Baghramian Wins 2023 Aspen Award for Art", (May 16, 2023).
  20. ^ Gould, Mia (August 6, 2024). "This Year's ArtCrush Gala Celebrates the Aspen Art Museum's 45th Anniversary with a Record-Breaking Auction", Cultured Magazine.
  21. ^ Ramsay, Phillip (July 2, 2023). "Celebrated sculptor to unveil new shows, recipient of ArtCrush honor", Aspen Times.
  22. ^ Aspen Times, "Aspen Art Museum to honor Gary Simmons at ArtCrush" (May 13, 2022).
  23. ^ Gagosian, "Mary Weatherford: Aspen Award for Art". Retrieved 8 Oct 2024.
  24. ^ "Education at the Aspen Art Museum", Aspen Art Museum. Retrieved 8 Oct 2024.
  25. ^ "Aspen Art Museum: 2022–23 Artist Fellowship Presentations". Aspen Public Radio (February 14, 2023).
  26. ^ Ramsay, Phillip (May 12, 2023), "Student art show brightens Aspen Art Museum, shows kids what’s possible", Aspen Times.
  27. ^ "Haegue Yang at the Aspen Art Museum | Artist Focus". Wall Street Journal. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  28. ^ Oksenhorn, S. (August 20, 2012). Yang at Aspen Art Museum: Moving Parts, Travel Logs. The Aspen Times. Retrieved from http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110820/AE/110819824
  29. ^ "Alliance Accredited Institutions" (PDF). American Alliance of Museums. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  30. ^ American Association of Museum Directors. (July 2011). AAMDMembershipList7-11.pdf. Retrieved from "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2012-04-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ Pitkin County. (2012). Aspen Art Museum. Retrieved from "Aspen Art Museum". Archived from the original on 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
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