The 2019 Edition Offers a Glimpse into the Future with New Artist Commission and Talk

NEW YORK, NY – We are pleased to announce the 2019 edition of Art Aspen. A subsidiary of UK based Clarion Events, Art Aspen will return to the Aspen Ice Garden at the base of Ajax mountain from Thursday, July 25, 2019, through Sunday, July 28, 2019, for a tenth year. The jewel-box sized fair, which was acquired by Clarion in 2016, has been a consistent and highly anticipated part of the Aspen cultural calendar. As Art Aspen enters a new era, its added focus on in-depth dialogs about art and culture, and the engagement of the local Aspen art community, will further highlight the distinguished enjoyed by visitors year after year.

The 2019 edition of the fair will include a select group of galleries showcasing modern and contemporary art by over 100 artists from all over the world. Known for the strong presentation of process-driven works, pieces will range in medium and style from the mesmerizing kinetic-opt art works of color theorist Carlos Cruz-Diez, presented by Sicardi Ayers Bacino Gallery, to the mind-bending mixed media works by Joe Black, presented by Opera Gallery, to the exquisite hand-blown glass objects and vessels by Alex Bernstein, presented by Raven Gallery. Striking a balance between the joy of collecting works by established favorites and the excitement of an encounter with new perspectives and practices, guests will be able to view pieces by long-time favorites like Damien Hirst and Fernando Botero and discover emerging artists such as Justin Lyons and Sérvulo Esmeraldo.

This year Art Aspen introduces its inaugural Artist Commission, a new platform designed to introduce an emerging artist to the Art Aspen community through the development of a thematic site-specific installation. New York-based artist Adrienne Elise Tarver is the first Artist Commission recipient and will receive a stipend and production support from Art Aspen for the installation of In Fertile Shadows, 2019. This body of work, which began in Australia, addresses the complexity and invisibility of the black female identity, domesticity, and fantasy in the Western landscape through creation of tropical environs and canopies inspired by invasive climbing vines using wire mesh and other household materials. Tarver’s work connects flora to human experience, facilitating new connections and perspectives between personal narratives and the environment.

Generating excitement around the world experience and acquisition of art is only part of Art Aspen’s mission. Supporting the local community is a fundamental value. As a nod to the flora-focused Artist Commission, Art Aspen will keep its attention on nature and has committed to reducing its use of paper by scaling back its fair guide. Those funds will instead be donated to The Environmental Foundation, a program managed by Aspen Skiing Company employees designed to support projects that promote environmental education and research; seek to reduce the impacts of climate change, fostering responsible stewardship of our natural resources; protect our mountain ecosystems; and preserve and create opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The fair returns with another series of robust programming, starting with the pre-fair release of this season’s SELECTS. Each year a small cohort of art connoisseurs will pick their favorite pieces from the fair as a quick guide to “must-see” works at the fair. The tenth edition SELECTS participants will be announced prior to the opening of the fair. The 2019 Host Committee, who are friends and supporters of the fair, include Etta Meyer and Alex Halperin of Aspen Peak; Cindy Hirschfeld and Nancy Mayer of Aspen Sojourner; philanthropist and Aspen Hall of Fame inductee, Kay Bucksbaum; and Genna Moe, the executive director of The Art Base. They will help celebrate the opening of Art Aspen and co-host the VIP Opening Night Preview on July 25th from 5pm-9pm, which is sponsored in part by Aspen Peak magazine to benefit The Art Base, a local art center designed to foster creative expression in the visual arts for all ages and abilities. On Friday, Genna Moe, Executive Director of The Art Base will host two fair tours, followed by a cocktail reception hosted by Aspen Sojourner. On Saturday, July 27th at 2:00pm, artist and Artist Commission recipient Adrienne Elise Tarver will be in conversation with art, science and technology curator Marnie Benney for a talk entitled Uproot: A Conversation About Plants, Humanity, and False Utopia. Art Aspen will also host a series of VIP fair tours and artist studio visits throughout the weekend.

Art Aspen thanks its 2019 sponsors, supporters, and cultural partners, which include Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Antolini Italy, Art Foundation Desert Hot Springs, Aspen Chamber of Commerce, Aspen Film, Challenge Aspen, Diagio, Glenwood Springs Arts Council, Grand Junction Colorado Commission on Arts & Culture, Houston Design Center, Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, Milagro, Museo de las Americas, Museum of Art Fort Collins, Museum of Craft and Design, Reponse, Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, Theatre Aspen, University of Wyoming Art Museum and its media sponsors, including American Art Collector, American Fine Art Magazine, Art & Antiques, Art in America, Artillery, art ltd., artprice.com, Artsy, Aspen Magazine, Aspen Daily News, Aspen Peak, Aspen Sojourner, The Aspen Times, Fine Art Connoisseur, Galerie, New American Paintings, Observer, Santa Fean, Sotheby’s and Venü.