Aspen is a unique place. Nestled at the base of Aspen Mountain in the heart of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, the ski resort town and its postcard-esque scenery have drawn in year-round crowds for decades. In the winter, fat snowflakes drift lazily down to blanket the looming peak and the town's four ski resorts. In the summer months, the breathtaking views and fresh air entice millions to flock to Aspen’s trails and summer homes. But besides being a go-to spot for plankers and hiking aficionados, Aspen also has another draw—its thriving art scene. From July 29 to August 2, the pièce de résistance of this remarkable outpouring of artistry—better known as the Aspen Art Fair—will happily take over the town.

Aspen is a place that has long inspired and hosted artists and collectors from around the world, resulting in a deep-rooted, diverse culture of artistic practice and appreciation inspired by The Aspen Idea. Exhibitions, lectures, performances, and artistic gatherings drawing international artists and crowds alike bolster Aspen’s unique cultural scene throughout the year, and this year its the Aspen Art Fair that will be carving out a deep well of cultural experiences.

This summer, the contemporary art, design, and cultural event is being hosted at the Hotel Jerome, taking the all-American town international. The fair, co-founded and directed by 74tharts founder Becca Hoffman and Hexton Gallery owner Bob Chase, has curated a abundance of events to kick off Aspen's Art Week, with both indoor and outdoor programming ranging from artists talks to exhibits to women-led hikes in the surrounding peaks. 

The historic Hotel Jerome, the wood-paneled social fixation of the mountain town for 125 years, will be reinvented with three artist residencies presented by Evan Hecox, Crystalle Lacouture and Zanele Muholi. Hecox, the Colorado-based master of drawing, painting, printmaking, and woodworking, intends to create pieces that showcase the spirit of the surrounding area and the greater Southwest, a project characterized by his signature sweeping lines and bright pops of color.

Lacouture presents House Jewelry, a cascade of wood, silver, beads, and bells inspired by Colorado’s 19th-century Silver Boom and the aspen trees the area is so famous for. The installation, which can only be viewed at Hotel Jerome, is also a cheeky wink at the hotel’s haunted history and is a unique sensory experience for all who view it.

South African artist and visual activist Muholi's creation is yet to be unveiled, but it's slated to be based on their interactions with the local art community, Aspen’s landscape, and their first-hand experiences. As an artist known for their nomadic approach, Muholi’s art takes shape wherever they are. 

Hotel Jerome, along with Aspen Art Museum’s Art Crush auction as well as various venues across town, will also proudly display Adam Stamp's Aspen Poodle Scavenger Hunt, a spunky merger of cuteness and social commentary that explores themes of class through the forms of happy poodle doodles. The other curated project that the Aspen Art Fair is delivering this year is a selection of rare outsider art works by Hawkins Bolden, Lonnie Holley and Purvis Young from The Jimmy Hedges Collection of Outsider Art, a collection passed down from father to son, the former of which was a staunch advocate of self taught art.

One outstanding artist will be selected by a special committee to receive the Anderson Ranch Guest Artist Prize courtesy of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. They’ll be awarded a one-week residency at the Ranch and its numerous studios, just as visionaries like Ed Ruscha, Julie Mehretu and Theaster Gates have in the past. The Pardon Collection, known for their extensive collection of digital works and their impressive exhibitions in both Denver and Newport Beach, will present a $10,000 acquisition prize to an artist exhibiting at the fair. Another artist will be commissioned by the nonprofit Buckhorn Public Arts to create a public art project in Aspen. 

The program reaches far beyond the viewing of physical art or what prizes are to be had. Scattered throughout the five-day fair are panels, tours, roundtables and screenings, including a tour of the Aspen Art Museum led by curator Simone Krug, a discussion between Muholi and Malawian tapestry artist Billie Zangewa, ballet in Paepcke Park with Dance Aspen and Buckhorn Arts, and much more.

Over the course of five days and the showing of more than 30 international exhibitors, the annual event will tie together a global network of contemporary artists, collectors, dealers, and art lovers of every kind in an unparalleled celebration of both art and nature.