Aspen Art Museum

PRESENTING THE NEWEST, MOST IMPORTANT EVOLUTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART

THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE ASPEN ART MUSEUM (AAM) IS TO BE A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FOR THE APPRECIATION, EDUCATION, AND DISCUSSION OF CONTEMPORARY ART. AAM EXHIBITIONS CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS FALLING INTO THREE GENERAL CATEGORIES: FIRST-TIME US MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS BY SIGNIFICANT EMERGING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE; SOLO EXHIBITIONS BY IMPORTANT OR ESTABLISHED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS THAT FOCUS ON NEW, UNRECOGNIZED, OR UNDERAPPRECIATED ASPECTS OF THEIR WORK; GROUP EXHIBITIONS CURATED TO ADDRESS PRESCIENT OR TOPICAL CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL, SOCIAL, OR POLITICAL SUBJECT MATTER, OR OTHERWISE CORRESPONDING TO AN ORGANIZING CURATORIAL THEME. THE AAM IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EXHIBITION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING ON A YEAR-ROUND BASIS FOR SURROUNDING COLORADO COMMUNITIES.

THE AAM STRIVES TO MAKE CONTEMPORARY ART MEANINGFUL TO A WIDE ARRAY OF AUDIENCES THROUGH INTERPRETIVE PROJECTS AND DIVERSE, COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMING. THESE OBJECT-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ARE DESIGNED TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES IN THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXPERIENCES OF ART, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY, THUS REFLECTING OUR INSTITUTIONAL MISSION. PROGRAMS OCCUR BOTH IN THE MUSEUM AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCES TO SEE AND RESPOND TO CONTEMPORARY ART THROUGH HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS, GALLERY TALKS, AND TOURS, LECTURES, AND INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO CURRENT EXHIBITIONS. IN THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR, THE AAM SERVED 450 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THROUGH 30 SCHOOL TOURS AND CLASSROOM VISITS; 1075 THROUGH YOUTH, FAMILY, AND TEEN PROGRAMS; 696 PEOPLE THROUGH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND TOURS. THE AAM IS ONE OF FOUR ACCREDITED ART MUSEUMS IN THE STATE OF COLORADO AND THE ONLY ACCREDITED ART MUSEUM LOCATED IN THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE STATE. THE MUSEUM'S REACH CONTINUES TO BROADEN, WITH AN ATTENDANCE TOTAL OF 50,823 PEOPLE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2021. PLEASE NOTE OUR ATTENDANCE WAS DOWN FROM THE PRIOR YEAR DUE TO COVID 19 CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS.

AUXILIARY SERVICES INCLUDING THE MUSEUM SHOP AND CAFE. THE MUSEUM SHOP OFFERS A VARIETY OF CONTEMPORARY ART BOOKS, FOCUSING ON CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, GROUP EXHIBITIONS AT OTHER RENOWNED INSTITUTIONS, AND ART HISTORY PUBLICATIONS. THE ASPEN ART PRESS PUBLISHES APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE CATALOGUES A YEAR THAT RELATE TO THE MUSEUM'S EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN THE MUSEUM SHOP AND INCLUDE ESSAYS BY THE AAM CURATORIAL STAFF AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL WRITERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND CULTURE. ADDITIONALLY, THE SHOP OFFERS CHILDREN'S BOOKS, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES, AND AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ARTIST EDITIONS, WHICH ENGAGE AUDIENCES IN THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXPERIENCES OF ART, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY.