Kaya Williams
Edlis Neeson Arts & Culture ReporterKaya Williams is the Edlis Neeson Arts and Culture Reporter at Aspen Public Radio, covering the vibrant creative and cultural scene in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley.
Williams joins the team after a stint at The Aspen Times, where she reported on Snowmass Village, education, mental health, food, the ski industry, arts and culture and other general assignment stories. She fell in love with this valley for its community and can’t wait to tell more stories of this place through the voices of the people who make it so colorful.
Before moving to Aspen in October 2020, Kaya was a freelance researcher for the podcast team at America’s Test Kitchen, where she helped produce “Proof,” “The Walk-In” and “Mystery Recipe” while working from her mountain hometown of Tahoe City, California.
She studied journalism and history at Boston University, where she also worked for WBUR, WGBH, The Boston Globe and her beloved college newspaper, The Daily Free Press.
When she’s not working, you can find Kaya chatting up strangers on the gondola, pounding the trails on a long run or baking a loaf of her favorite banana bread.
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“Crear ese espacio, crear esa representación va a abrir las puertas para que más mujeres y chicas digan: ‘Oh, puedo hacer una película, puedo mostrar mi personalidad y mi forma de esquiar’”, dijo Sierra Schlag. -
With a background in environmental policy, Hudson McNamee sees his custom-made furniture and art as a “segue” to messages about sustainability and humans’ impact on the world around them.
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A short documentary, “Yazzie,” shares the story of a champion “fancy dancer” at the Shining Mountains Film Festival this weekend; it will be followed by a performance from Yazzie’s company, Native Pride Productions.
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The documentary, produced by Olympic ski racer Bode Miller and the Alterra Mountain Company, explores the high highs and low lows of life in a resort community. It screens at the Wheeler Opera House on Wednesday.
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Candidates should also be ready for small-town life: Shimukappu is an isolated village of roughly 1,200 people, but it’s home to a “vibrant” community, according to the current English teacher Timbah Bell.
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The “Blessing of the Skis and Snowboards” is an annual tradition where parishioners gather with their equipment to pray for safe adventures and a bounty of fresh snow.
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A warm and dry November put a damper on early-season snowpack, so skiers and riders will have to stay at higher elevations for some turns at local ski areas this week.
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The artist group Kairos Futura was founded a few years ago as the “Aspen Space Station” offering cool events and installations to help more people think about their impact on the environment. Now, the organization is encouraging people to do something about it too.
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The new ski movie features a diverse cast of female athletes on the slopes — with all women behind the camera, too.
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The “Tenants for Turns” program offers incentives to landlords who rent to Aspen Skiing Company employees, with benefits like a free ski pass, bundle of lift tickets or $1,500 gift certificate. One landlord-tenant pair shares their experience with the program in this audio postcard.
