An Insider’s Guide to Aspen Art Week
Discover the where to stay, eat, and get inspired in the alpine enclave this summer
What first attracted the art and design world to this alpine enclave still does—the “Aspen Idea” is a vision of a place where people can combine intellectual and artistic pursuits with an appreciation of nature and physical activities in the outdoors. As such, Aspen has solidified its spot as an essential stop on the summer culturati circuit. While a creative community exists here year-round, the scene peaks during Aspen Art Week.
The Aspen Art Museum leads this juggernaut of public and private events and parties, and this year it will debut AIR Festival, A Global Platform for Art. The confab starts with an invitation-only retreat and culminates in a free public festival that features performances, newly commissioned artworks, and dialogues. “AIR is an opportunity to create a Davos-type forum for people interested in the arts,” Richard Edwards, owner of Baldwin Gallery, which put the town on the contemporary art map when it opened in 1994, tells Galerie.
On August 1, the scene heats up for the museum’s main fundraiser, Artcrush, a bash and auction that will honor Glenn Ligon. Between AIR sessions, take time to marvel at the museum’s architecture, with its lattice-wood façade, designed by the Pritzker Prize–winning architect Shigeru Ban. Grab an espresso at its rooftop Swedish Hill cafe with stunning views of Aspen Mountain. Then visit its exhibitions of work by Sherrie Levine, Solange Pessoa, Carol Rama, and Anthea Hamilton’s outdoor sculpture.
The walkable downtown also has much to offer. Top global fashion brands like Dior and Prada line the streets, and there are pop-ups all season. The influential Baldwin Gallery offers both shows and word-of-mouth news—you never know what bold-faced names you’ll run into there. On view currently are works by Carroll Dunham and Laurie Simmons.
Explore Booksellers is a favorite stop; pop in and sip a coffee at its new café. At nearby Paepcke Park, Buckhorn Public Arts transforms the skyline with Sanford Biggers’ towering, sequin-dazzled clouds installation titled Unsui (Mirror).
Bauhaus design in the Rockies still surprises many newcomers. At Aspen Meadows, originally designed by Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer, find revamped Modernist-influenced buildings set in a garden with original earthworks scattered across its magical grounds. Of note is nature artist Andy Goldsworthy’s serpentine Stone River installation. A must-visit is Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies, which shows Aspen’s Bauhaus legacy through the lens of the polymath artist. Classical concerts are held nearby at the Aspen Music Tent.
At the landmark luxury Hotel Jerome, where the Aspen Art Fair is artfully staged in guest rooms, visitors will find stylish design and one of the town’s liveliest dining and social hubs. Intersect Art + Design, Aspen’s oldest fair, occurs simultaneously at the Aspen Ice Garden. For those staying overnight, the Aspen Meadows is also home to a wonderful landscape hotel with sleek design. Escape the busyness of town here, and at its West End Social restaurant with a farm-to-table menu.
At The Little Nell, soothe your art weary body at its newly renovated spa. Across from the Nell stands the Aspen W, with a fun rooftop with fabulous mountain views. Towards the edge of downtown stands MOLLIE Aspen, with design nods to the town’s Bauhaus legacy and Scandinavian motifs.
Fans of the town’s Matsuhisa are buzzing about the just-opened Yuki—celebrity chef Nobu Yuki Matsuhisa’s new world cuisine concept, located at music venue Belly Up. AM-7 is a new private club/restaurant housed above Yuki. In addition to its charming coffee bar, Sant Ambroeus recently opened an elegant sit-down restaurant serving its signature classic Milanese dishes. At Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten’s slopeside edition of Wayan, diners will find Indonesian fare with modern French flair. Both eateries offer great outdoor seating.
And before heading home, venture over to Anderson Ranch Arts Center in nearby Snowmass, a multidisciplinary center with residencies, workshops, a live auction, and can’t-miss artist talks.