You might think that the only fine art you’ll need to consider while in the slick ski resort town of Aspen, Colorado, is that of executing your run down the mountain with obvious skill. But that would be to sell short the other artistic angles worth considering in this tourist charmer, from the performing arts and music festivals to progressive art centers and galleries. Add to that an events calendar well stocked with workshops, fireside chats and poetry nights and you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled on to a big city, not one with a permanent population of about 7,000. There’s good reason the New York Times rated this a top ski resort choice for the nonskier - there’s plenty to do even when you’re not hitting those famous slopes.
A good place to start planning your cultural run is with a look at the Aspen Chamber’s calendar of events. From film and concert series to sessions on Shakespeare (put on by globally recognized think-tank, the Aspen Institute) and edgy art exhibits, local events offer a serious dose of culture and the opportunity to see what makes this city’s arts-oriented denizens tick. Even if there’s nothing special scheduled, you’ll want to leave time for a cruise through the Aspen Art Museum, but also check for exhibitions at the Red Brick Center for the Arts and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet performs year-round here, when they’re not busy touring internationally, and you can also catch a a stage production put on by Theatre Aspen during summer months. More interested in the written word? Check out the Aspen Writer’s Foundation, an Aspen Institute program that offers everything from writing camps to aprés ski sessions with renowned authors. If it’s the silver screen that seems more intriguing, look to local Aspen Film for a selection of film festivals through-out the year as well as annual film screenings of Academy favorites.
In short: well, there is no short. Between the ski slopes, the scenery and the selection of cultural entertainment on offer you can see why cultural charmer, Aspen, Colorado, draws a devoted following of both the outdoorsy and the arts-oriented. Sign us up.