As Aspen prepares for another vivacious Art Week, the Aspen Art Fair returns to the historic Hotel Jerome from July 29 through August 1 with its most ambitious edition yet. Now entering its third year, the boutique fair has quickly carved out a distinctive place on the international art calendar by embracing an experience that feels like a heartfelt cultural gathering.
Visitors journey between gallery presentations installed throughout the legendary hotel, site-specific works, conversations, outdoor experiences, and private collection visits, all playing out within Colorado’s revitalizing alpine landscape. More than 7,000 collectors, curators, artists, and cultural leaders attended the first two editions, and this year’s fair builds on that momentum with new leadership, an expanded exhibitor roster, and programming that reaches well beyond the gallery walls.
A New Era for the Aspen Art Fair
Courtesy of Hotel Jerome, Aspen.
One of the year’s most significant developments is the appointment of Kelly Cornell as Director. Well known for her decade of leadership at the Dallas Art Fair, Cornell brings extensive experience working with international galleries and collectors while guiding the fair’s continued evolution. Under her direction, the Aspen Art Fair will continue its focus on thoughtful presentations, close relationships between exhibitors and collectors, and programming developed in partnership with Aspen’s leading cultural institutions.
Cornell said, “My focus for 2026 is to strengthen the quality of presentations, support our returning galleries, and introduce new voices, while maintaining the intimate and collaborative spirit and sense of place that defines the Aspen Art Fair.”
“My focus for 2026 is to strengthen the quality of presentations, support our returning galleries, and introduce new voices,”
Kelly Cornell
Christine Mack, founder of the Mack Art Foundation, also joins the board of directors alongside co-founder Bob Chase, Dallas Art Fair founder John Sughrue, and Brook Partners‘ Jeremy Buonamici, strengthening the fair’s leadership as it expands its international reach.
A Global Roster of Galleries
Joana Choumali, “MY HEART HAS ENOUGH ROOM FOR BOTH OF US,” 2024, mixed media, embroidery, paint, manual collage, sheer fabric, and digital photograph printed on canvas, 30 1|2 x 31 inches, courtesy Albertz Benda.
The fair welcomes more than 35 exhibitors this summer, presenting painting, sculpture, photography, design, installations, and works on paper throughout Hotel Jerome’s guest rooms and exhibition spaces. A new outdoor sculpture section adds another dimension to the experience, encouraging visitors to encounter contemporary art within Aspen’s mesmeric natural surroundings. New exhibitors include Albertz Benda, Friedman Benda, Library Street Collective, Monique Meloche Gallery, Luis de Jesus Los Angeles, R & Company, Patel Brown, Gattopardo, Jacob Arthur Gallery, and Proyectos Monclova, joining returning participants such as Perrotin, Sean Kelly, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Southern Guild, Ippodo Gallery, Galerie Gmurzynska, Alexandre Gallery, Secci, and RYAN LEE. Behold a presentation that spans established international programs alongside rising voices from across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Beyond the Fair Floor
Courtesy of Hotel Jerome, Aspen.
Beyond the exhibitors, the Aspen Art Fair continues to stand out from the crowd through a sweeping cultural program that shimmers across the city. Private tours of the collections of Melony and Adam Lewis and Jorge M. and Darlene Pérez offer rare opportunities to experience tremendous contemporary collections within residential settings where architecture, landscape, and collecting beautifully intersect. Visitors can also voyage through Balmain‘s exclusive salon installation at Hotel Jerome, where the French fashion house unveils Antonin Tron‘s Fall/Winter 2026 collection in a chic and intimate setting designed specifically for the fair.
Conversations That Shape Contemporary Culture
Jennifer Bartlett, “Is it Straight,” 2003, © Jennifer Bartlett 2013 Trust, courtesy of Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen.
Conversations throughout the week delve into the intersections of art, architecture, photography, design, and collecting. Highlights include a dialogue between artist Phillip K. Smith III and architectural designer Scott Mitchell, a live recording of Heidi Zuckerman‘s About Art podcast with artist and architect Ronald Rael, and two programs exploring Aspen’s rich photographic legacy through Aperture Magazine, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and Herbert Bayer’s everlasting influence on the city’s visual identity. Photography also shines with a guided discussion surrounding Zanele Muholi’s celebrated Faces and Phases installation, examining portraiture as a magnificent form of memory, identity, and cultural documentation.
Championing Artists Across Generations
Jihei Murase, “Gold and Silver Bowl,” 2025, Lacquer, Zelkova elm, gold leaf, H 5 1|4 x W 7 5|8 x D 7 5|8 in, courtesy of Ippodo Gallery.
Film also becomes part of the conversation through a screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary All the Empty Rooms, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Joshua Seftel, photographer Lou Bopp, and collaborators speaking to the relationship between storytelling, photography, memory, and social impact. Meanwhile, collectors can participate in discussions on stewardship, collection management, and insurance, while the fair’s ongoing Art Prize Program continues to support artists through residencies, acquisitions, public commissions, and institutional recognition in partnership with Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Buckhorn Public Arts, and the Mack Art Foundation. A new collaboration with the Aspen Education Foundation strengthens the fair’s investment in young artists by supporting the local International Baccalaureate art program and exhibiting selected student work during the fair.
Where Art Meets the Mountains
Courtesy of Hotel Jerome, Aspen.
Aspen truly honors its majestic, natural landscape. Early morning cold plunges along the Roaring Fork River, guided forest hikes through Hunter Creek, outdoor sculpture walks, and moments of quiet reflection in the mountains become part of the collecting experience itself.
As co-founder Bob Chase has said, “Our intention has always been to present a highly curated, relationship-driven experience that reflects the sophistication of the art, our community, and the unique Aspen setting, while attracting an international audience.”
“Our intention has always been to present a highly curated, relationship-driven experience…”
Bob Chase
The outstanding programs champion Aspen Art Fair’s soulful identity, one where contemporary art, hospitality, nature, and community unite to create one of the season’s most memorable destinations for collectors and cultural travelers.
