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Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Is For Aspen Anderson Ranch For The Arts
View of Anderson Ranch Arts Center and James Surls, 'Three and Ten Flowers', 2014, part of Anderson Ranch Arts Center 2024annual outdoor sculpture exhibition Courtesy Anderson Ranch Arts I've been going to Aspen since I was a teenager. At first, it was just for the skiing. Then I discovered that, as is true with most ski resorts, there is more to do there in the summer. Over the years, summer in Aspen has grown to have a dizzying array of activities, from seminars at the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Festival of Ideas, the Aspen Music Festival, the Food & Wine Classic, the Aspen Museum AIR Festival, to name but a few of the summer events. With summer, hiking, biking, dining and shopping become full time sports, in what I like to call the Switzerland of America. However, until my recent visit to Aspen and to the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, I never realized the extent to which Aspen has become a center for contemporary Art or the extent to which art is part of Aspen-Snowmass' DNA. The Anderson Ranch is a four-and-a-half-acre art center that offers classes in pottery, ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking, 3D fabrication, woodworking, and metalworks, to people of all ages and all abilities. At the same time, artists come to the ranch as a retreat or to experiment in new mediums, to give lectures, workshops, and to hold public conversations about their work. Anderson's cross-disciplinary and welcoming pluralistic approach to arts education is part of its and Aspen's DNA. While in Aspen I met with (and got to hang out with) Peter Waanders, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ranch, Liz Ferrill, Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking (and who leads the Artist in Residence Program and the Critical Dialogue Program), and Evan Soroka, an Aspen native who is the Ranch's digital media manager, each of whom struck me as incredibly happy to be able to be part of the Anderson Ranch. 'Aspen has always been about the meeting of mind, body and the spiritual,' Waanders told me. The story of Aspen begins with Walter Paepcke, the son of German immigrants who took over his father's lumber mill and box-making company in Chicago. Paepcke built the company into the highly successful Container Corporation of America which, in turn, became known for commissioning great graphic designers and artists for their campaigns including Herbert Bayer, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Fernand Leger, Leonard Baskin, Ben Shahn, Joseph Cornell, and Willem de Kooning. In 1946, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke founded the Aspen Skiing Corporation, opening a chairlift on Aspen Mountain that same year. In 1951, seeking to create a forum for his passions, Paepcke founded the International Design Conference in Aspen (IDCA), which was modeled on the Bauhaus philosophy of collaboration between modern art, design, and commerce, and was led by Bauhaus member Herbert Bayer, with attendance by such design and art luminaries as Josef Albers, Louis Kahn. And Charles Eames. Paepcke believed that good design was good business, and he invited fellow tycoons such as Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus, and other executives to attend. The IDCA was soon joined by sister organizations, the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Music Festival. Paul Soldner leads a ceramics class at Anderson Ranch Courtesy Anderson Ranch Arts In 1966, as they were preparing to open the Snowmass ski area, the Paepckes decided Aspen needed an arts center. They turned to American ceramicist Paul Soldner who chose an old sheep farm The Anderson Ranch near Snowmass Village as the location for his center. Soldner brought in friends, colleagues, and other artists, including Peter Volkous who had taught ceramics at Black Mountain College and would go on to found the ceramics department at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Today, those early days are looked on fondly as the era of 'hippie potters.' Soldner and Voulkos were the mainstays of the ceramics center which they called 'The Center of the Hand.' They were soon joined by Cherie Hiser's photography program, called 'The Center of the Eye.' In the years that followed David Ellsworth launched a woodturning program, and a painting workshop was offered as well. Sam Maloof taught a woodworking workshop. In 1978 a printmaking studio was established. The Anderson Ranch, Waanders said, 'is a makers organization' that prioritizes 'process over final product.' In the 1980s, not only did the Ranch become a year-round center with winterized barns, but the Anderson Ranch was deeded all its property and buildings (which is as amazing as it is fortunate – imagine owning almost five acres of land in Aspen today!), and a visiting Artist program began. Over the years visiting artists have included Laurie Anderson, Christo, Takaski Nakazato, Starn Twins, Dennis Hopper, Maya Lin, James Rosenquist, Sally Mann, Larry Bell, and Jennifer Bartlett. In the 1990s a digital media lab was launched. Other artists who have participated in Anderson Ranch programs include Steve McQueen, Mickalene Thomas, Catherine Opie, and Frank Stella, Each summer the Anderson Ranch hosts a series of public artist lectures and Q&A sessions. Past participants include Marina Abramović (2013), The Haas Brothers (2016), Doug Aitken (2017), Njideka Akunyili Crosby (2018), Sanford Biggers (2019, Liz Larner (2022), Mickalene Thomas (2023), and Charles Gaines (2024), among others. Touring the facilities at the Anderson Ranch, it is hard to imagine any artist having access to as great a range of tools, machines, programs, and the people who can administer them. I walked through a large room that contained kiln after kiln: large ones, small ones, huge ones, wood fired, and gas powered, as well as 3-D clay printers. It is no wonder that so many artists want to come to the Ranch to experiment, learn, and extend their practice. The week before I arrived, Rainer Judd and Flavin Judd who administer the Donald Judd estate were there, and in the following weeks there would be lectures, conversations and visits with Kelly Akashi, Shepard Fairey, Catherine Opie, Dawoud Bey, Mickalene Thomas and Issy Wood. The Summer Series is curated by Summer Series Creative Director and CULTURED magazine founder and Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson. Aspen today is very much home to the wealthy. The joke/not-really-a-joke is that in Aspen the Billionaires are pushing out the Millionaires. No question that housing for those that work in Aspen is no longer affordable. You only need to walk the well-maintained streets of Aspen to find yourself surrounded by luxury brand retail store after retail store, such as Valentino, Prada, Dior, and Loro Piano. That being said, Aspen has always been a place, like New York and Los Angeles, where people who have been financially successful elsewhere choose to have a second home. Aspen's summer residents come from all over the country and are often art collectors themselves who appreciate and support The Ranch. During my visit I met dedicated ranch board members from Indianapolis, Houston, Chicago, Davenport, and Los Angeles. The Ranch also holds an annual fundraising event, which is the culmination of Ranch Week, with a live and silent auction of artworks, as well as having an International Artist Award honoree, who for 20025, is artist, filmmaker, and philanthropist Titus Kaphar, a 2018 MacArthur Grant Award recipient. Conversation between Titus Kaphar and Susan Wrubel following screening of Exhibiting Forgiveness in Aspen, Colorado Courtesy of Anderson Ranch Arts Kaphar is both an extraordinary artist as well as an exceptional human being. During Ranch Week, Kaphar held a screening of his feature film Exhibiting Forgiveness at the iconic and recently restored Isis Theater. Exhibiting Forgiveness is a very poetic, sensitive, and visually beautiful account of an artist's struggle regarding the father who traumatized and abandoned him, starring Andre Harrell and Anda Day. It is also an investigation of the lead character's relationship with his mother, his wife, his own son and how his inner turmoil plays out in his paintings, his choice of subject matter, as well as in his relationships with his gallerist and his collectors. After the screening, Kaphar was in conversation with Susan Wrubel, Executive and Artistic Director of Aspen Film where they discussed how the film, which can be seen on Hulu, is about 'correcting generational trauma,' Titus Kaphar and Deby Wisch in conversation at the Anderson Ranch Courtesy of Anderson Ranch Arts The following day, in conversation with documentary filmmaker Debi Wisch, Kaphar discussed his journey from Michigan to California, his discovery of art history, and the many attempts he made before being accepted into Yale's MFA program in art. Kaphar is known for his works that investigate art history and the erasure of Black lives. Kaphar said that he sees his work as 'neither Demonizing, not Deifying.' This was followed by a lunch where Kaphar discussed his NXTHVN (Next Haven) project, a not-for-profit arts studio located in two former manufacturing plants in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut that opened in 2019, offering studio internships to local high school students over 15, and to visiting artists who mentor them. Kaphar is hoping to create NXTHVN centers all over the country. Kaphar often tells his interns about their work: 'I don't care how many likes you get, if everything you make succeeds, then you are not trying hard enough.' Inside the Woody Creek Tavern Photo by Tom Teicholz I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Aspen offers other art experiences as well. There is the Hexton Contemporary Art Gallery right in the center of Aspen which just ended an exhibition of new work by Andy Millner, and the Aspen Art Museum which has a wonderful Sherrie Levine exhibition (Levine's work remains perplexing); and striking installations by Solange Pessoa and Carol Rama. The Aspen Art Museum's own annual auction ArtCrush is live online through August 2nd, with works by Anni Albers, Alex Katz and Michael Stipe. And, finally, no visit to Aspen is complete for me without checking in at the Woody Creek Tavern, Hunter Thompson's old hangout, where the burgers are as great as ever. Aspen in the summer can become the best of habits. This was my first visit to the Anderson Ranch. It won't be my last.
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
LACMA Builds Its Future
David Geffen Galleries at LACMA; exterior view southeast toward Wilshire Boulevard with Tony Smith's Smoke (1967) in foreground, photo © Iwan Baan, courtesy of LACMA 'The superstructure is the structure,' said Michael Govan, director and CEO of the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA) said of the new Peter Zumthor-designed building that recently opened for a press preview. There is no art in the building yet, and the official opening isn't until April 2026, but Govan wanted a moment of celebration for the completion of this 110,000 square feet gallery with no columns for which three of LACMA's original buildings were demolished, and which snakes across Wilshire Boulevard, where there will be a new a cafe, a restaurant, a family education center, and a 300-seat theater. It is hard to believe that Los Angeles didn't really have a contemporary art museum before LACMA opened in 1965. Over the years the William Pereira designed campus meant to invoke an 'art acropolis' with gleaming modernist buildings each named for leading donors such as Bing, Ahmanson, and Lytton (later renamed for Armand Hammer) created no excitement and no cohesion. For the last several decades, as long as I've lived in Los Angeles, there have been plans to come up with a master plan for LACMA. Over the years this has involved building the additions of the Renzo Piano BCAM building with its Pompidou like outdoor escalator – which originally might have held the Broad Collection but, as I predicted at the time, proved too difficult to execute to Eli Broad's satisfaction, and the Resnick Pavillon, which in many ways became LACMA's permanent temporary exhibition space. Several starchitects such as Piano made proposals, several were announced, none were built. Then came Michael Govan. Director and CEO of LACMA. Govan's detractors like to say he has an 'edifice complex.' Which I repeat because it's such a good line. However, it is also true that he was working for Thomas Krens at the Guggenheim at the time they built the Frank Gehry Bilboa branch of the museum, and then when leading the DIA art Foundation, he opened DIA Beacon, which is a terrific space. So, like many a bromide, there is a grain of truth to it. LACMA was in need of a unified campus (and some of its buildings needed to be torn down for reasons of seismic safety). Govan's solution which was both maximalist and in some ways minimalist, involved what seemed an outlandish idea, a Peter Zumthor-designed one story columnless pavilion with floor to ceiling glass, an amorphous amoeba like shape, that would cross Wilshire Boulevard, and would cost $720 Million dollars. The critics were many. Complaints included that the new structure offered no more exhibition square footage (perhaps even less) than the former buildings; that the floor to ceiling windows on all the sides of the structure would absorb too much heat and would make showing art inside difficult if not impossible; and that the use of such construction materials as concrete was not environmentally sound. Having a structure that crossed Wilshire Boulevard seemed a folly. Critics found the Zumthor building design itself was undistinguished, looking more like a spaceship that had landed on the tar pits than a museum-worthy building. But all that was before construction was complete. I will make a little detour here to speak about the Barnes Collection in Philadelphia. The Barnes, like the Gardner in Boston, and the Frick in New York, was one person's collection displayed in the collector's home, arranged by them. At a certain point, a group controlling the Barnes decided to build a new building so the collection could be better seen and preserved. Lawsuits ensued as well as a very good documentary, The Art of the Steal , which was made before the new building opened and which made a very compelling argument that doing so was a travesty. Now, if you've been to the Barnes recently, you know that reality proved the naysayers wrong. However, before it actually opened, no one could imagine how great the newly installed Barnes was going to be. I bring this up because clearly LACMA believes the same is true for their new building. Given that there were so many objections to the building, it was very canny of Michael Govan and LACMA to offer a walkthrough of the building itself before even one piece of art is installed inside. The reality of the building doesn't quell all objections, but it does prove that Govan could raise the necessary funds to build it, and that he got the building completed. As an optimist, here's the good news: The new Geffen Galleries, as they are called, are definitely a statement building. If Los Angeles is a city where distinctive architecture is also outdoor sculpture, then LACMA, like Disney Hall, will become a destination that, like it or not, tourists and residents alike will want to see. The long outdoor steps leading to the galleries may become a place where people hang out, like the steps of the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York. Or you could have LA health enthusiasts 'doing the stairs' as they do in Santa Monica. In demolishing the prior buildings, they reclaimed three-and-a-half acres that becomes public space. Going to LACMA may gain the buzz as a public square as well as the locus for an inexpensive date or a family outing. There will be new large outdoor public sculptures that promise to be as instagrammable as Chris Burden's collection of street lamps. Finally, the completion of the new LACMA building, together with the opening of the metro stop there will complete the transformation of that stretch of Wilshire Boulevard into an arts district that stretches from the Tar Pits on the East Side of LACMA to the Academy Museum and Petersen Auto Museum on the West. David Geffen Galleries at LACMA; view northwest at dusk from exhibition level toward Resnick Pavilion, photo © Iwan Baan, courtesy of LACMA As for the interior of the building itself, there are also several positives to report. The overhangs create shade, and custom created light-porous chromium curtains filter the sunlight and the heat. The buildings' floor to ceiling windows do afford many new views of Los Angeles, not just of the rest of the LACMA Campus and the Academy Museum but also the Hollywood Hills, as well as new view over the LA Brea Tar Pits that will increase the land available to that institution. There is a gorgeous new view of the Bruce Goff designed Pavillon for Japanese Art that makes new that unique building's design, as well as of the tar pits. Finally, when standing on the crossover above Wilshire Boulevard, the view West is incredible and will surely become a selfie and Instagram magnet. On the south side of Wilshire where the building ends will also be a new 300 seat theater where films can be shown, performances staged, conversations held. And the building has been constructed in such a way that it can actually move and lessen the impact of an earthquake and aftershock. Aerial view of LACMA buildings, including David Geffen Galleries in context of Miracle Mile, photo © Iwan Baan, courtesy of LACMA Now, as to my reservations. Disney Hall is a thing of beauty, poetry even. The Broad Museum with its concrete veil is certainly striking. LACMA's Geffen Gallery may be exciting, interesting, but a thing of beauty? Maybe not so much. I have read one critic say the building looks like an airport air terminal. That's not completely wrong. It is eye-catching, and even elegant — a minimalist work done in a maximalist size. But that is not the same as a thing of beauty. Inside the building is all one large columnless space with grey concrete floors and walls, with several rooms, most of which struck me as too small for separate exhibitions and somewhat claustrophobic. The Galleries have been purposely designed so as to have, in Govan's words, 'no one in the front and no one in the back.' No given place to begin viewing and no end. The buildings floor-to-ceiling windows are meant to signal transparency from the outside world, and from the galleries looking out to LA. Govan wants with these galleries to 'Reinvent Art History for the 21rst century.' The art will be installed in such a way that one can wander and make discoveries at every turn, without a given beginning or end. There was some mention of grouping works 'by Ocean' (I'm not sure if that is accurate). What most concerns me is that if there is no set beginning or end to how the works in the collection are displayed, no collection of old and contemporary masters on permanent view, no progression in what we see, no visual and didactic narrative informing the viewer... Will the visitor be lost? Will making everything of equal importance mean that nothing matters? It could take LACMA several years of trial and error to find their way. Time will tell. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Kamasi Washington performs during the LACMA First Look Reception on June 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor LACMA) Getty Images for LACMA In the meantime, LACMA threw a memorable party for its new building. LACMA estimates some 6000 people showed up over several viewings. The art world turned out in force, including Charles Gaines, Ed Ruscha and Alison Saar. LACMA members also attended in great numbers, marching up the new stairs four deep. Kamasi Washington performed, leading some 100 musicians staged in various corners of the new structure. It was the kind of night that is too rare in LA, and I was happy to be there. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Guests attend the LACMA First Look Reception on June 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor LACMA) Getty Images for LACMA When LACMA opened in 1965, it was LA's first contemporary and modern art museum. Since then, the Pasadena Art Museum became the Norton Simon, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) opened downtown, The Skirball, The Getty Center, the Hammer, and more recently The Broad, have all taken root. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open next year. To regain its prominence as a cultural destination, perhaps what LACMA needed was a hard reset. And a big dream. In the new LACMA it has both.
Arab News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘Songs of Silence in Nature': Chinese artist Shu Li honored in Riyadh
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Art Pure Gallery Foundation is currently hosting an exhibition, 'Songs of Silence in Nature,' by the renowned Chinese artist Shu Li. Organized in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the exhibition opened on June 24, 2024 and will run until July 25, 2025 in the Saudi capital. A leading figure in contemporary Chinese art, Shu Li has held distinguished roles within China's national cultural institutions. His works have been showcased in more than 20 countries, including the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Italy. He has received numerous international accolades in countries such as Russia, Belgium, the US, Ukraine and India, and is a distinguished academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. His paintings are featured in some of China's most iconic venues, including the National Art Museum of China, the Great Hall of the People, and the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. He has also published more than 20 catalogues chronicling his artistic evolution. Shu Li's work blends traditional Chinese techniques with a distinctly contemporary sensibility. Characterized by tranquil landscapes, his pieces often depict mist-shrouded mountains and serene lakes. These works invite viewers to enter a meditative and reflective state. 'Art is not merely a visual encounter,' the artist explained, 'but an emotional journey. 'Through my oil paintings, I aim to capture those fleeting moments of beauty that enrich our daily existence. 'My work is a dialogue between the canvas and the world it portrays — a world where light dances across surfaces and color speaks more powerfully than words. 'Each painting is an exploration of texture, form and the expressive potential of oil as a medium. I draw inspiration from nature, human experience and the myriad ways in which art connects us to both. I invite viewers to do more than just observe my work; I want them to feel it and enter the narrative that each painting weaves.' This exhibition is part of an increasing cultural dialogue between China and Saudi Arabia. It reflects the desire of both countries to strengthen their artistic exchange and deepen the ties between these two ancient and influential civilizations. Contemporary Chinese art embodies a rich synthesis of millennia-old traditions and modern perspectives. Since the late-20th century, Chinese artists have experimented with various forms, including painting, sculpture, installation and video, to explore the tensions between heritage, rapid urbanization and evolving social realities. Often merging classical craftsmanship with avant-garde techniques, they explore themes of identity, collective memory and the challenges of the present age. Today, China's vibrant art scene is widely recognized internationally, with many leading Chinese artists playing a pivotal role in reshaping the global contemporary art landscape. The Art Pure Gallery Foundation is a leading Saudi cultural institution founded in 1999.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Erik Skoldberg Abstract Artist Sees Unprecedented Demand as Prices Reach $180,000+ for Investment-Grade Originals
Nashville-Based Contemporary Artist Commands Premium Pricing as Celebrity Collectors and Major Developers Drive Market Growth NASHVILLE, TN, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abstract artist Erik Skoldberg is experiencing explosive market demand as his original works now command prices ranging from $35,000 to $180,000+, positioning him among the most sought-after contemporary artists collected by major patrons, musicians, athletes, and luxury developers. With over 700 original works in circulation and a growing waitlist for commissions, Erik Skoldberg pricing has become a frequent search term among collectors and art investment advisors. His works have appreciated 8x in value over the past 15 years, with early collectors who purchased pieces for $5,000-$12,000 now holding six-figure assets. "Erik Skoldberg's name has become synonymous with investment-grade abstract art," said a senior curator at the Aspen Institute. "His Studio Floor Collection pieces, starting at $120,000+, represent some of the most conceptually rare works in contemporary circulation." Celebrity & Art Collectors Drive Market Pricing & Recognition Multigenerational families, affluent, savvy collectors, and new, discerning eyes all converge around the artist's work—each recognizing its enduring value. The client list reads like a who's who of entertainment and business: Jamil Alam, Chris Ellis, Jay Turner, Mike Meldmann, Richard Branson, and the Haslam family are among his patrons. Grammy-winning DJ Zedd commissioned a custom triptych for his Beverly Hills estate. NHL MVP Connor McDavid collects velocity-driven abstracts, while PGA champions Jordan Spieth and Gary Woodland have added Skoldberg originals to their private collections. These aren't just buyers—they are believers, building their collections around the artist's vision. Erik Skoldberg's pricing structure reflects the exclusivity of his process: Studio Floor Collection: $120,000+ (limited to one release per year) Icon Series: $50,000-$95,000 (featuring embedded memorabilia) 3D Functional Pop Art: $60,000-$125,000 Large-Format Developer Commissions: $75,000-$180,000 Custom Residential Pieces: $35,000-$180,000 Corporate Collaborations Elevate Artist Profile Skoldberg's collaboration portfolio includes blue-chip brands such, Adidas, Hermès, and House of Creed, Rolls-Royce Nashville showroom with his appointment as Official Artist of the Super Bowl marking a significant career milestone. Endeavor Real Estate Group recently commissioned a 16-foot lobby installation for their $100M+ Nashville development, demonstrating institutional confidence in the artist's market value. "When we invest in a Skoldberg, we're not just acquiring art – we're securing an asset that appreciates alongside our property values," noted a Director of Development at Endeavor Group. Scarcity Drives Investment Appeal Unlike many contemporary artists, Erik Skoldberg produces exclusively one-of-one originals with no prints, editions, or reproductions. His signature Studio Floor Collection, where a single canvas absorbs residue from an entire year's worth of paintings, exemplifies the scarcity driving current market dynamics. Art market analysts predict significant price movements within 24 months as institutional buyers and museum acquisition committees begin evaluating Skoldberg's work for permanent collections. About Erik Skoldberg Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Erik Skoldberg is a contemporary abstract artist whose works combine emotional color theory with large-scale installation expertise. Through his initiatives with Kamp Skoldberg he has raised over $1 million for Childrens Charities. Learn more at Media Contact: ABS Public Relations 6790 Embarcadero Lane, Suite 100 San Diego, Ca 92011 James Benjamin info@ This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding art market valuations. Past performance does not guarantee future in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Vogue
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
'In The Darkness I Can See You' by Giorgia Lisi
Artist's bio Giorgia Lisi is 26 years old. She was born and raised in South Italy. In 2022 she attended a two years course named "Photography and Contemporary Image" at the school and art space "linea" in Lecce (IT). She currently study at Royal Academy of Arts (KABK) in The Netherlands where she's deepening her knowledge about photography exploring different visual possibilities. In 2025 she was shortlisted for the category "Creative" by Sony World Photography Awards with her project "In the darkness I can see you". In her work she explores themes concerning the condition of the human being and how it is unconsciously affected by the dynamics of our contemporary society, staging the photographs in order to transform her imagination into images. She's very interested in fairytales and old legends and their connection to nowadays societal issues.
