The town of Snowmass Village has several new art installations around town, including over a dozen photos from local artists displayed at bus stops, the transit center, the Snowmass Mall and the Snowmass Town Center.
Gray Warr, a Snowmass Arts Advisory board member, said that while the photos are meant to make these areas “prettier,” they also showcase the best parts of town.
“Photographs of landscapes, sunsets, moon rises, of bucking Broncos, of skiers,” he said. “It's a variety of different photographs but all taking place in Snowmass.”
The six-by-four foot photos are printed on aluminum and will be up for three years before they are returned to the photographers. The arts advisory board paid for everything from the photographers’ time to the materials to installation out of its allocated $25,000 budget from the town government.
Installation took place this winter, but there were some hiccups.
As one of the photographs was installed in the Snowmass Town Center, built in 1979, some old photographs from the 70s were taken down, exposing old windows.
“That artwork was actually hiding old windows that had been boarded over to the grocery store,” Warr said. “Instead of just removing the windows, they just boarded (them) over. So that was a surprise.”
Installers removed the windows this winter, sheetrocking over them before hanging up the new photos.
The new photographs can be seen on the Snowmass Art Walk.
New sculpture
In addition to the new photographs, the trio of deer that welcomes residents and visitors into Snowmass Village will soon have company.
A mother bear and bear cub statue was installed at the Snowmass Town Park this spring.
Lois Upper, a Snowmass Arts Advisory board member, said the bears represent the town’s family-oriented community values, as well as the bear’s indigenous roots to the Roaring Fork Valley.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the state’s bear population is between 17,000 and 20,000. The northwest region of Colorado, which includes Pitkin County, usually ranks the highest in bear activity.
“We always want something that is appropriate for us,” she said. “Something that makes sense to our community, looking to highlight our values and our sense of beauty.”
The bears are made up of a group of alloys that are silver when installed and turn a rust brown the longer they are outside. They are also assembled from several pieces, eventually forming the bears. Upper said it is like a giant three-dimensional puzzle.
The statue will be a permanent fixture in Snowmass Village, with the arts advisory board paying for the art piece from its budget.
The board is next looking to commission murals around town.
