BY NICOLETTE CAVALLARO
Welcome to This Week in Culture, a weekly agenda of show openings and events in major cities across the globe. From galleries to institutions and one-of-a-kind happenings, our ongoing survey highlights the best of contemporary culture, for those willing to make the journey.
Anderson Ranch Summer Series
Where: Anderson Ranch Arts Center
When: July 9 - August 8
Why It's Worth a Look: Every year, Anderson Ranch Arts Center invites influential artists, curators, collectors, and critics to lecture and host Q&A panels at their Summer Series. Featuring conversations with the conceptual artist Charles Gaines, the artist and educator Derek Fordjour, and the sculptor Pedro Reyes, this summer’s program is perfect for expanding your intellect between sake-filled meals at Matsuhisa.
Know Before You Go: On July 18, CULTURED’s very own Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson will be in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jerry Saltz.
R & Company Aspen
Where: R & Company at 520 East Hyman Avenue, Floor 2
When: Opening June 29
Why It's Worth a Look: The New York-born design outfit makes a much-anticipated return to Aspen with this pop-up, bringing together the work of both local and international artists. Featuring collaborations with the likes of Cabana, Hedges Projects, and Object & Thing, the show offers a formidable constellation of collectibles, all inspired by Aspen’s thriving cultural scene.
Know Before You Go: R & Company is a major player: Previous pop-ups have included collaborations with the likes of Pitkin Projects and Lehmann Maupin.
Intersect Aspen Art and Design Fair
Where: Aspen Ice Garden
When: July 30 - August 3
Why It’s Worth A Look: This year, Intersect Aspen is adding design to its long-standing roundup of leading artists and galleries. Design purveyors including Todd Merrill Studio, Mastrangelo, and BDDW will bring selections to the beloved Colorado institution for the five-day fair spread across the Aspen Ice Garden's 16,000 square feet. Four unique thematic pillars bring together the eclectic mix of work on view: The Environment, Social Consciousness, Design, and The Aspen Art Journey.
Know Before You Go: Of the fair's latest and expanded iteration, CEO Tim von Gal shared in a statement, "We are ecstatic with the record-setting registration of collectors and art enthusiasts upon announcing our 2024 galleries. This demand and appreciation from our attendees validate our extensive efforts in serving both Aspen and the art community."
"Bauhaus Typography at 100"
Where: Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies
When: June 11 - April 30, 2025
Why It's Worth a Look: From its invention of the distinctive glass curtain wall (now seen on skyscrapers worldwide) to its sparing but bold use of primary colors, the Staatliches Bauhaus was one of the 20th-century’s most impactful design movements. This exhibition specifically celebrates Bauhaus’s contributions to typography through a look at the objects—magazines, books, promotional fliers—that continue to bear its signature designs.
Know Before You Go: While key Bauhaus players such as Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee are featured here, the exhibition also highlights lesser-known contributors, including women like the Austrian artist Friedl Dicker.
ArtWeek
Where: Aspen Art Museum, hosted at a variety of locations
When: July 30 - August 3
Why It's Worth a Look: Aspen ArtWeek is a cumulative celebration of the city’s ever-expanding art community. Including rooftop performances, auctions, panels, and immersive events for museum members and guests, the week reaches its pinnacle with the annual ArtCrush Summer Gala and Auction, an invitation-only event at the base of Buttermilk Mountain. This year’s honorees include the painter Jacqueline Humphries, the musician Jason Moran, and the architect Shigeru Ban.
Know Before You Go: Not only does this year’s ArtWeek celebrate 45 years of the Aspen Art Museum, it also coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the Shigeru Ban-designed building for AAM.
“Mickalene Thomas: myblackisbeautiful”
Where: Baldwin Gallery
When: July 26 - September 2
Why It's Worth a Look: The details on Mickalene Thomas’s latest offering have been kept under wraps, but based on the multi-media artist’s recent exhibitions, a series of vibrant, mixed-media compositions is surely en route to Aspen this summer. The show’s title points to a continuation of Thomas’s long-standing mission to spark progress by example. “Making space is vital to my practice, because creating art simply isn’t enough,” the artist told CULTURED. “I want to see others in my community grow, too.”
Know Before You Go: The exhibition is running concurrently with another offering from Thomas at the Broad in Los Angeles: “All About Love,” on view through September 29.
The Aspen Music Festival and School: 75th Anniversary Season
Where: Michael Klein Music Tent, and other locations
When: June 26 - August 18
Why It's Worth a Look: Founded in 1949, the Aspen Music Festival and School began as a two-week celebration of 18th-century German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Now, the festival is an eight-week stint of programming with panels, operatic performances, and chamber music, which on quiet evenings can be heard resounding across the surrounding mountains. One thinks Goethe would appreciate the improvements.
Know Before You Go: Throughout the summer, artists including the Grammy-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin and the violinists (and husband-and-wife team) Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony have been invited to curate special programs to share music, reminiscences, and stories of their decades in Aspen.
“Annie Decamp: Roots Below The Surface”
Where: Red Brick Center for the Arts
When: June 20 - August 30
Why It's Worth a Look: Annie Decamp is a humanist. The artist has previously painted children, neighborhood groups, and even Betty White and her pet bear—all with her distinctive eye and sensitivity toward her subjects. Now, she turns her attention to flowers—specifically, Aspen’s summer blooms. Utilizing her encyclopedic knowledge of art history, Decamp makes references to past painters, while still maintaining her own truly contemporary style.
Know Before You Go: This summer, the Red Brick Center for the Arts—which also houses dance and rehearsal studios and hosts adult art classes—is kicking off its 30th anniversary celebration with Decamp’s exhibit.
“Ghada Amer: New Works”
Where: Marianne Boesky Gallery Aspen
When: June 25 - July 27
Why It's Worth a Look: Egyptian artist Ghada Amer never shies away from confronting themes of gender and sexuality in her multi-layered, politically resonant work. Her two latest series, “Paravent Girls” and “QR CODES REVISITED,” on view at Marianne Boesky Gallery Aspen, are no exception. The former features ink drawings of anonymous women, then translated into bronze sculptures, while the latter includes the artist’s reappropriation of khayamiya, a textile appliqué craft long associated with male tentmakers in Egypt.
Know Before You Go: Amer often sources her imagery from pornographic magazines, which she then reimagines with her signature feminist gaze and pleasure-oriented lens. She’s not called a feminist provocateur for nothing.
Aspen Art Fair
Where: Hotel Jerome
When: July 29 - August 2, 2024
Why It’s Worth A Look: The brainchild of art-world veterans Becca Hoffman and Bob Chase, this new event aims to reimagine the traditional art fair experience. More than just a commercial exhibition, it is a full-fledged “cultural takeover” featuring exclusive home tours, large-scale mural installations by local artists, and art documentary premieres.
Know Before You Go: The fair expands its reach beyond the hotel through partnerships with local organizations. These include collaborations with the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. A highlight of these partnerships is the Anderson Ranch Guest Artist Prize. The winner will join renowned artists like Kenny Scharf and Julie Mehretu as a visiting artist at the Ranch, gaining access to work in the studios across various disciplines, including printmaking, ceramics, woodworking, and performance.
