Founded in 1979, the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) is a leading contemporary art museum located in Aspen, Colorado , United States. It operates as a non-collecting institution, showcasing a diverse program of exhibitions spanning various mediums, such as drawings , paintings , sculptures , multimedia installations , performance art , and electronic media . Dedicated to fostering cultural exchange and transformative ideas, AAM serves as a hub for international artists, scholars, policymakers, and innovators, aiming to shape both the museum landscape and the broader field of art.
30-423: At its core, AAM is driven by a mission to support artists in cultivating bold concepts that challenge conventional norms and drive cultural evolution. Anchored in its values of inquiry, immediacy, and innovation, AAM actively pursues new initiatives, responds to current discourse with flexibility and adaptability, and invests in artists and thinkers to reinvent both the museum and the art field at large. Admission to
60-442: A crisp visual style and adopted use of all-lowercase, sans serif typefaces for most Bauhaus publications. Bayer is one of several typographers of the period including Kurt Schwitters and Jan Tschichold who experimented with the creation of a simplified more phonetic-based alphabet. From 1925 to 1930, Bayer designed a geometric sans-serif titled Proposal for a Universal Typeface ( Herbert Bayer, universal ) that existed only as
90-723: A daughter, Julia Alexandra, in 1929, and divorced in 1944. In 1928, Bayer left the Bauhaus to become art director of Vogue magazine 's Berlin office. He remained in Germany far later than most other progressives. In 1936 he designed a brochure for the Deutschland Ausstellung , an exhibition for tourists in Berlin during the 1936 Olympic Games – the brochure celebrated life in Nazi Germany , and
120-499: A design and was never actually cast into real type. These designs are now issued in digital form as Bayer Universal ( P22 Type Foundry Bauhaus Set ). The design also inspired ITC Bauhaus and Architype Bayer , which bears comparison with the stylistically related typeface Architype Schwitters . In 1923 Bayer met the photographer Irene Bayer-Hecht at the first large Bauhaus exhibit in Weimar. They married in 1925, separated in 1928, had
150-530: A monumental sculpture-fountain to be installed between the dark green granite towers. Originally titled "Stairway to Nowhere" Anderson laughed , but felt the Shareholders wouldn't see the irony; thus he suggested it be named Double Ascension and it still stands between the twin skyscrapers today. Under Bayer's direction, ARCO's art collection grew to nearly 30,000 works nationwide, managed by Atlantic Richfield Company Art Collection staff. ARCO's collection
180-584: A popular sport. Bayer's architectural work in the town included co-designing the Aspen Institute and restoring the Wheeler Opera House , but his production of promotional posters identified skiing with wit, excitement, and glamour. In 1959, he designed his "fonetik alfabet", a phonetic alphabet , for English. It was sans-serif and without capital letters. He had special symbols for the endings -ed , -ory , -ing , and -ion , as well as
210-480: A rooftop sculpture garden, and an outdoor commons. There are five main architectural features within the building's design plan: Grand Stair, Moving Glass Room Elevator, Woven Wood Screen, Wood Roof Truss and Walkable Skylights. Aspen ArtWeek is the Aspen Art Museum's annual program of exhibitions, artist talks, performances, and live events which has become a major convening moment of the U.S. art world in
240-698: Is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums . The museum is a member institution of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), which represents directors of art museums throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In March 2009, the AAM joined other Aspen area businesses through becoming certified under a jointly run City of Aspen Environmental Health Department and Canary Initiative “ZGreen” program. Environmental efforts undertaken by
270-600: Is governed by a Board of Trustees, which provides strategic oversight and supports the museum's mission and vision. The Board of Trustees includes notable figures such as Melony Lewis and Amnon Rodan (Co-Presidents), Jamie Tisch (Vice President), and Marcy Edelstein (Secretary), Sarah Arison, Sasha Bass, Barbara Bluhm-Kaul, Chris Brown, Janet Crown, Domenico De Sole, Bruce Etkin, Joe Felson, Christy Ferer, David Ganek, Steve Hansen, Toby Devan Lewis (In Memoriam), Nancy Magoon, Nicola Marcus, Susan Marx, Paul Pariser, John Phelan, Nancy Rogers, Gayle Stoffel, Mary Zlot. The Aspen Art Museum
300-773: The Denver Art Museum . He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1979. Bayer's works appear in prominent public and private collections including the MIT List Visual Arts Center . Bayer designed the Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks , an environmental sculpture located in Kent, Washington . In 2019, the philanthropists and entrepreneurs Lynda and Stewart Resnick donated $ 10 million to
330-470: The digraphs "ch", "sh", and "ng". An underline indicated the doubling of a consonant in traditional orthography. While living in Aspen, Bayer had a chance meeting with the eccentric oilman, outdoorsman and visionary ecologist, Robert O. Anderson . When Anderson saw the ultra-modern, Bauhaus-inspired home that Bayer had designed & built in Aspen, he walked up to the front door and introduced himself . It
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#1732797729377360-604: The AAM through the ZGreen program include recycling, composting, and zero waste events. Herbert Bayer Herbert Bayer (April 5, 1900 – September 30, 1985) was an Austrian and American graphic designer , painter, photographer, sculptor, art director, environmental and interior designer, and architect . He was instrumental in the development of the Atlantic Richfield Company 's corporate art collection until his death in 1985. Bayer apprenticed under
390-659: The American Association of Museums (now the American Alliance of Museums). Previously housed in a converted hydroelectric plant at 590 North Mill Street, the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) opened its new facility to the public at 637 East Hyman Avenue on August 9, 2014, . The building is designed by architect Shigeru Ban , recipient of the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize . It is Ban's first US museum to be constructed. The 33,000-square-foot, four-level facility houses eight exhibition spaces: six gallery spaces,
420-487: The Aspen Art Museum is free, courtesy of Amy and John Phelan. Due to Aspen's stunning landscapes and remote location, and in no small part thanks to the efforts of Herbert Bayer , Ferenc Berko , and John Powers among other local luminaries, Aspen became “an outpost for avant-garde artists” including Ansel Adams , Buckminster Fuller , and Eero Saarinen . The Aspen Center of Contemporary Art (ACCA) established an artists-in-residence program from 1965-1970, which drew “many of
450-650: The City of Fort Worth, is now the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, which features seven galleries highlighting regional and national artists. [REDACTED] Media related to Herbert Bayer at Wikimedia Commons American Alliance of Museums The American Alliance of Museums ( AAM ), formerly the American Association of Museums , is a non-profit association whose goal is to bring museums together. Founded in 1906,
480-886: The Museum honors one or more artists with the Aspen Award for Art. Previous winners include: AAM prioritizes access, experimentation and support for the wider Roaring Fork Valley community through the experience of art and artists. Recurring programs include: The Aspen Art Museum is led by the Nancy and Bob Magoon Director, Nicola Lees (since 2020). Former directors include Heidi Zuckerman (2005–2019), Dean Sobel (2000–2005), Mary Ann Igna (Interim Director, 1999–2000), Suzanne Farver (1992–1999), Susie Hojel (1991–1992), Susan Jackson (1989–1990), David Floria (Curator/Acting Director, 1989), Annette DiMeo Carlozzi (1986–1989), Laurel Jones (1982–1986), Philip Yenawine (1977–1982). The Aspen Art Museum
510-696: The National Museum in Washington, D.C. , on December 21, 1905, for the "purpose of discussing the advisability of endeavoring to establish an association of the museums of America." Major events in the history of the Alliance include: Media and Technology (M&T) is a Professional Network of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The M&T Network is the AAM link between museums and media technologies. It identifies, examines, and advocates appropriate uses of media technologies in helping museums meet
540-714: The Sixties and Seventies," featuring works by Diane Arbus , Richard Avedon , Willem de Kooning , Jasper Johns , Roy Lichtenstein , Robert Mapplethorpe , Claes Oldenburg , and Andy Warhol . Warhol's first visit to Aspen “transpired over the Christmas-New Year holiday of 1981-82.” In 1984, the ACVA was renamed the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) to better reflect its curatorial scope, established the AAM National Council, and received national accreditation through
570-668: The artist Georg Schmidthammer in Linz . Leaving the workshop to study at the Darmstadt Artists' Colony , he became interested in Walter Gropius 's Bauhaus manifesto . After Bayer had studied for four years at the Bauhaus under such teachers as Wassily Kandinsky , Paul Klee and László Moholy-Nagy , Gropius appointed Bayer director of printing and advertising . In the spirit of reductive minimalism, Bayer developed
600-646: The authority of Hitler. However, in 1937, works of Bayer's were included in the Nazi propaganda exhibition "Degenerate Art" , upon which he left Germany. Upon fleeing Germany, he traveled in Italy . In 1944 Bayer married Joella Synara Haweis, the daughter of poet and Dada artist Mina Loy . The same year, he became a U.S. citizen. In 1946 the Bayers relocated. Hired by industrialist and visionary Walter Paepcke , Bayer moved to Aspen, Colorado as Paepcke promoted skiing as
630-543: The critical eye and sharp direction of Bayer as ARCO's Art and Design Consultant. Overseeing acquisitions for ARCO Plaza , the newly built (1972) twin 51-story office towers in Los Angeles that served as the new company's corporate headquarters, Bayer was also responsible for the ARCO logo and designing all corporate branding related to the company. Prior to the completion of ARCO Plaza, Anderson commissioned Bayer to design
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#1732797729377660-728: The first city west of the Mississippi to have street lights powered by hydroelectric plant energy. The City of Aspen supported the rehabilitation of the disused structure, leading to the incorporation of the Aspen Center for the Visual Arts (ACVA) in November 1977. Philip Yenawine was selected as the first director in August 1978. The ACVA opened to the public on June 16, 1979, with the inaugural exhibition "American Portraits of
690-513: The members include art , history, science , military, maritime, and youth museums , as well as public aquariums , zoos , botanical gardens , arboretums , historic sites, and science and technology centers. At the 2014 American Alliance of Museums conference, the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced there are now at least 35,000 museums in the US. An informal meeting was held at
720-524: The most important American artists of the day” including Roy Lichtenstein , Claes Oldenburg , and Christo and Jeanne Claude , among others. In 1976, a City of Aspen vote led to the acquisition and development of an out-of-use building at 590 North Mill Street, which became the Aspen Art Museum's first home until 2014. Built in 1888, the Hunter Creek Power Plant initially served the city's silver mining operations and enabled Aspen to be
750-598: The mountains each summer. The week culminates in the longstanding ArtCrush fundraising auction and gala which sees works donated by major international artists and galleries sold in support of the museum's artistic and educational program that continue to benefit its local and international communities. Each year, ArtWeek features headlining commissions and performances by renowned artists; recent highlights include: Ryan Trecartin (2024); Poncili Creación (2023); Korakrit Arunanondchai (2022); Jeffrey Gibson (2022); and Precious Okoyomon (2021). Every year since 2005,
780-791: The nonprofit Aspen Institute for a center dedicated to Bayer that will be located on the Institute's Aspen Meadows campus, which Bayer designed. The facility, the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies, is to have galleries, educational programs, and an overall aim to provide tools for the preservation and study of Bayer's work. Herbert Bayer was the architect for the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth , in Fort Worth, Texas. The institution moved to its new location designed by architect Tadao Ando in 2002. The building, owned by
810-617: The organization advocates for museums and provides "museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward." AAM represents the scope of museums, professionals, and nonpaid staff who work for and with museums. AAM represents more than 25,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, 4,000 institutions, and 150 corporate members. Individual members include directors, curators , registrars, educators, exhibit designers, public relations officers, development officers, security managers, trustees, and volunteers . Museums represented by
840-459: Was eclectic, and consisted of an extremely wide range of media & styles; ranging from contemporary and earlier paintings, sculpture, works on paper (including drawings, watercolors and signed original lithographs, etchings and serigraphs) and signed photographs to tribal and ethnic art from many cultures, as well as historic prints and artifacts, all displayed throughout ARCO's buildings in Los Angeles and several other cities. Three years after ARCO
870-550: Was taken over by BP in 2000, that company's then-chairman, Lord Brown, personally ordered ARCO's art collection liquidated. It was sold through Christie's and LA Modern Auctions. Bayer made provisions to donate, after his death, a collection of his works which had been housed in ARCO's conference center in Santa Barbara to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The works have been loaned previously to
900-436: Was the beginning of a lifelong friendship between the two men and instigated Anderson's insatiable passion for enthusiastically collecting contemporary art. With Anderson's eventual formation of the Atlantic Richfield Company , and as his personal art collection quickly overflowed out of his New Mexico ranch and other homes, ARCO soon held the unique distinction of possessing the world's largest corporate art collection, under
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