Inaugural Aspen Art Fair kicks off on Monday at Hotel Jerome
Hotel Jerome/Courtesy photo
Next week, Aspen will welcome artists, curators, gallerists, and art collectors for what has been dubbed “Art Week,” culminating in Aspen Art Museum’s annual gala, ArtCrush. A new edition to the week is the first Aspen Art Fair, a new international art, design, luxury, travel, and hospitality takeover of the historic Hotel Jerome from Monday, July 29, through Friday, August 2.
Conceived by co-founder and director Becca Hoffman, the event aims to re-think, re-examine, re-engage, re-invigorate, and connect international and creative communities in Aspen. By emphasizing a global connection and blending traditional art presentations with experiences in public spaces and hotel rooms, it aims to create an immersive environment for attendees.
“I believe that Aspen is a ripe place for arts and culture, stemming back to the historical philanthropic engagement of the community in arts and culture, and I wanted to start something different. I wanted to think outside the box and provide Aspen an opportunity for an art design, lifestyle, and luxury hospitality takeover,” Hoffman said.
She’s no stranger to pushing the boundaries in her field and has had 15 years of hands-on experience with art fairs. She was instrumental in rebranding and upgrading the Outsider Art Fair New York and building the Outsider Art Fair Paris from 2012 to 2020. From 2020 to 2023, she developed art fairs and cultural events in Aspen and Palm Springs for Intersect Art and Design.
In 2023, she launched 74tharts, a women-led art business, to explore culture, connectivity, and commerce with a skilled team and more than 50 years of combined shared experience in the art world.
The inaugural edition of the fair will present more than 20 international exhibitors from 12 countries and the work of around 90 artists bringing together a global network of art dealers, collectors, and enthusiasts at Hotel Jerome.
“The Hotel Jerome was always at the top of my wish list because I felt the history of this space. I couldn’t have asked for a better location. And apart from the location the team at the Jerome are really partners, they have gone above and beyond to support us,” Hoffman said
The fair will combine the traditional art fair model as well as presentations in public spaces and hotel rooms, in an intimate, social setting with a program of home tours, a salon-style speaker series, art prizes and residencies, cocktail receptions, dinners, and guided hikes to take advantage of Aspen’s natural setting.
Patrick Davila, general manager at Hotel Jerome, was intrigued by Hoffman’s vision.
“I spoke with Becca, and she explained everything she wanted to do, and my initial thought was ‘I’ll probably get fired,'” he said with a laugh. “Which of course made it interesting. So we decided ‘Let’s just go big.'”
Beyond the experiential nature of The Aspen Art Fair, it also promises to have a significant collection of art from galleries hailing from New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Zurich, and beyond.
Galerie Gmurzynska, which has shown at the Intersect fair in Aspen in the past, will spotlight works by Robert Indiana, Roberto Matta, Majorie Strider, Wifredo Lam, Joan Miróand, and more.
Isabelle Bscher is the third generation to run Galerie Gmurzynska, founded by her grandmother, Antonina Gmurzynska, in Cologne, Germany. She was impressed with Hoffman’s work with Intersect Aspen and is looking forward to returning to support her and participate in the Aspen Art Fair.
“Aspen is one of those places that has a certain kind of magic that is hard to describe — it’s a special place that I love very much,” said Bscher. “It’s also an opportunity to show things in a completely different setting for people. People have more time during the summer. They go for a hike or a bike ride in the morning, but then in the afternoon, they have more time to look around and are less stressed than the city.”
Three local galleries will also featured, Hexton Gallery, Casterline|Goodman, and Galerie Maximillian.
“We are excited to be participating in this new fair, right in the center of town, at the Hotel Jerome — and, in fact, we were selected by Becca Hoffmann in a highly-curated group of top-notch galleries,” said owner Albert Sanford. “We are bringing mostly new projects to the fair including highly acclaimed African American artists Rashid Johnson, Mickalene Thomas, Chase Hall, McArthur Binion, Deborah Roberts, and a large impressive work by Tschabalala Self, a new name for Galerie Maximillian. In addition, new projects by American contemporary artists Mel Bochner, Hilary Pecis, Katherine Bernardt, Shara Hughes, and Kiki Smith will all be presented.
“Given the broad sponsorship, the convenient in-town location, the top-notch selection of both local and international galleries — and the influx of major collectors to Aspen for “Art Week” in conjunction with ArtCrush at the Aspen Art Museum — we anticipate a highly successful Art Fair.”
Full schedule and tickets: aspenartfair.org
Sarah Girgis is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.
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