The Aspen Art Museum is undergoing a dramatic transformation under director Nicola Lees, shifting away from its reputation as a wealthy collector's playground toward becoming a serious global cultural institution. This evolution represents one of the most significant changes in the museum's history, as it attempts to balance maintaining financial support from affluent donors while repositioning itself as an intellectual powerhouse in the international art world.
The change is evident in the museum's programming decisions. Where previous years featured multiple collector home visits as part of Art Week activities, this year included none. Last year offered three such tours, and collector visits were previously a regular feature. Instead, the museum launched its inaugural AIR festival, a 10-year, $20 million artist-led interdisciplinary program featuring presentations by renowned figures like German filmmaker Werner Herzog and art world curator Hans Ulrich Obrist.
This shift occurs in a town where real estate values have skyrocketed since the pandemic. Last year, casino magnate Steve Wynn and discount stock mogul Thomas Peterffy co-purchased a $108 million home in Aspen, highlighting the extreme wealth concentration in the area. The museum's annual fundraiser ArtCrush previously culminated in lavish wine-tasting parties at collectors' homes, followed by equally extravagant galas that became legendary for their excess.
Lees, who took over as director in 2020, inherited both a stunning $45 million building designed by Shigeru Ban and an identity crisis. The museum had been built under former director Heidi Zuckerman's leadership from 2005 to 2020, transforming from a scrappy regional institution into a formidable presence backed by major donors whose art collections doubled as investment portfolios. Key supporters included Larry and Susan Marx, John and Amy Phelan, and Bob and Nancy Magoon.
Zuckerman's tenure was marked by both remarkable success and significant controversy. She needed to raise $70 million for the new building while facing fierce community opposition. The museum's original plan to build on city-owned land required a public referendum, which was voted down two-to-one by residents who viewed the institution as elitist. The criticism became personal, with attacks on Zuckerman's $850,000 salary in 2013, which was comparable to directors at major New York institutions like MoMA and the Guggenheim.
During the Zuckerman era, ArtCrush became a marquee event earning millions for the museum. The Phelans hosted the more private WineCrush at their home, famous for features like a Walead Beshty cracked mirror floor in their living room. These events, sponsored by Sotheby's and J.P. Morgan, became legendary spectacles where museum directors mingled with celebrities like the Kardashians, featuring fine dining, vintage wine pairings, and afterparties where guests sometimes ended up in pools with or without clothes.
Lees has deliberately moved away from this model. The AIR program, structured like an Aspen Ideas Festival for the art world, offers talks, workshops, and collaborations aimed at positioning the museum as a center for intellectual discourse rather than social capital. One longtime patron noted, "It's more intellectual. They're trying to move away from the party." This shift extends to curatorial approaches, with Lees delegating to guest curators, artists, and rising stars like chief curator Daniel Merritt.
The transformation has required careful management of both message and relationships. Unlike previous years, press were not invited to this year's ArtCrush gala, which raised $4 million, consistent with fundraising levels since 2021. Lees explained this decision as intentional, wanting media to focus on AIR programming instead, including Matthew Barney's "TACTICAL parallax," a performance involving horses, sled dogs, and blank firearm discharges.
The museum's supporter base has evolved alongside its programming. Some longtime donors and board members have stepped back, with Larry Marx noting, "You have to let the museum evolve. That's part of why I was happy to get off the board." A new generation has emerged, including board president Amnon Rodan of Rodan + Fields, along with collectors like Melony and Adam Lewis, and Barbara Bluhm-Kaul and Don Kaul, who have deep philanthropic experience but little interest in spectacle.
This year's ArtCrush co-chairs reflect the demographic shift: Sarah Arison (MoMA board president), Jen Rubio (Away luggage co-founder and Whitney Museum trustee), and Charlie Pohlad (Minneapolis-based Pohlad family) represent emerging collectors aligned with Lees's vision. Collector Holly Baril, who with her husband Albert helped found the Emerging Art Fund at MOCA Los Angeles, praised Lees for creating "something people want to be part of. A strong community that doesn't feel performative."
The museum's structure as a kunsthalle without a permanent collection supports this mission. Albert Baril sees this as advantageous: "That's the beauty of it. It's a platform for discovery. They're not hitting us up to raise another hundred grand to buy this or that." Despite Aspen's increasingly exclusive nature—where pre-pandemic costs of $1 million per bedroom have risen to nearly $2 million—the museum maintains community connections through local school programs, seeing 3,000 children annually through its Youth Art Expo.
The fundamental challenge remains whether the museum can successfully balance its global ambitions with local realities. Aspen's extreme cost of living and limited accessibility raise questions about who can participate in its cultural life. While the museum has been free since 2008 thanks to Amy and John Phelan's support, the town's reputation for difficult travel and four-hour drives from Denver creates barriers beyond admission fees.
The success of Lees's transformation will ultimately depend on whether the museum can maintain its financial stability while achieving intellectual credibility. As one powerful global gallery director observed, "What's so fascinating is that Heidi did exactly what she needed to do to build the museum, and Nicola is doing exactly what she needs to do. It's a totally different vision, wildly different in style. And it's working." The museum's future lies in navigating the tension between exclusivity and access, creating culture that matters in a place where scarcity of land, housing, and access defines daily life.
