Amid Aspen’s alpine splendor, Katie Kiernan sees more than snow-capped peaks—she sees a canvas. As the founder of 212 Gallery, Kiernan has helped transform the mountain town into an unexpected art mecca, where museum-caliber works meet the hum of everyday life. Whether it’s a Shepard Fairey mural tucked beside a sandwich shop or a Sanford Biggers sculpture resting gently in a park, Kiernan believes inspiration flows just as freely from the Roaring Fork River as it does from the city’s cultural pulse.
The visionary took a moment with Whitewall during the buzzing art week to share her favorite hidden spots, the secret strength of Aspen’s art scene, and why nature is the ultimate muse.
Katie Kiernan.
WHITEWALL: What’s the best spot to find inspiration in Aspen?
KATIE KIERNAN: The outdoors—always. There’s nothing more inspiring than Aspen’s natural beauty. Being able to interact with nature every day is such a gift; it recharges the soul and makes space for creativity and ingenuity. Whether it’s standing at the top of Ajax, Ute, Maroon Bells, or running along the Roaring Fork River, the expansive views and quiet moments offer endless inspiration, and it’s free!
“There’s nothing more inspiring than Aspen’s natural beauty,”
Katie Kiernan
Installation view: AUDIENCE PLANT 2024. Photo: Michael Coles. Courtesy Aspen Art Museum.
WW: Where’s the best off-the-beaten-path place to see art in Aspen?
KK: Honestly, the best place to see art is right in the streets of Aspen. Nature was our original public art, but now the town itself has become an open-air gallery. Thanks to the efforts of 212GALLERY and some incredible community support, visitors and locals can now see world-class street art by Shepard Fairey at 520 East Durant near The Big Wrap, and at Locals Corner at Main and Galena. There’s something magical about seeing museum-quality work while filling up your gas tank. And don’t miss Sanford Biggers‘ “Clouds” in Paepcke Park—they’re quietly poetic and unexpected.
“The best place to see art is right in the streets of Aspen,”
Katie Kiernan
Gaetano Pesce,
“My Dear Mountains,” 2022,
Installation view at Aspen Art Museum,
Courtesy the Artist,
Photo Adrianna Glaviano,
Project supported by the Italian Council (2020).
WW: What’s the best-kept secret in Aspen?
KK: Well, if I tell you, it’s not a secret anymore! But honestly, one of Aspen’s best-kept secrets is its community. Despite the town’s reputation for glamour, Aspen is home to an incredibly warm and tight-knit group of people. The arts, music, and cultural scene thrives here because locals show up for one another.
“One of Aspen’s best-kept secrets is its community,”
Katie Kiernan
Whether it’s a gallery opening, a benefit concert, or a mural unveiling—this town comes together. Aspen is much more than meets the eye. It’s a community full of heart. I love this place and love sharing all that makes it special.
Katie Kiernan’s Aspen Must-See List
1. The Quiet Moments of Maroon Bells
Courtesy of Obermeyer.
The Maroon Bells, a series of distinctively bell-shaped, wine-colored peaks rising to over 14,000 ft. above sea level, tower above the pristine, glacial Maroon Creek Valley and offer some of the most spectacular natural views in the world. From meadows of vibrant wildflowers to airy groves of Aspen trees to summit-based alpine tundra, the Maroon Bells promise a variety of natural habitats and a diverse, vivid representation of the wild Elk Mountain range. With six scenic hiking trails, various camping sites, and biking paths, visitors can enjoy multiple ways to access Aspen’s natural marvels and endless mountain adventure any time of year. –Aspen Chamber
2. Spirited Art at 212GALLERY
CHRISTIES & WARHOL FOUNDATION COLLABORATION; Courtesy of 212Gallery, Aspen.
212GALLERY, established in 2005, has long been a cornerstone of the contemporary art scene in Aspen. For over a decade, the gallery thrived as a traditional exhibition space, showcasing Contemporary and Post-war contemporary art and establishing a formidable reputation within the art community. –212 Gallery
3. Shepard Fairey on the Streets of Aspen, by 212GALLERY
Shepard Fairey, Courtesy of 212GALLERY, Aspen.
Amid the challenges of the pandemic, 212GALLERY pivoted its model to focus on an exciting new direction. Embracing the transformative power of public art, 212GALLERY has since shifted its focus Art Advisory and building important collections as well as to creating impactful public art projects with corresponding pop-up exhibitions – such as the striking, large-scale Shepard Fairey Mural that 212 brought to Aspen in 2018 – Aspen’s first ever large scale public art project, which exemplified 212’s commitment to enriching public spaces with extraordinary art. -212 Gallery
4. Sanford Biggers’ “Clouds” in Paepcke Park
Paepcke Park’s “Unsui (Mirror),” a monumental public art installation by artist Sanford Biggers. Lance Gerber photo. Courtesy of Aspen Times.
Sanford Biggers is a multimedia artist whose practice encompasses painting, sculpture, video, photography, music, and performance. As an artistic intermediary, he disrupts established narratives, weaving U.S. history into broader global frameworks. By remixing cultural symbols and intervening in historical forms, he complicates collective mythologies and reimagines traditions. His work reflects personal experiences, from his early engagement with graffiti art in Los Angeles to his time living in Japan, shaping his ability to bridge disparate cultural and historical contexts.
Unsui (Mirror) features two towering sequin sculptures set against the expansive desert sky. Clouds, a recurring motif in Biggers’ work, symbolize freedom, boundlessness, and interconnection. Drawing on Biggers’ study of Buddhism, these clouds — or unsui (“clouds and water” in Japanese) — embody unencumbered movement. Shimmering in the desert light, they evoke a feeling of timelessness and transcendence. –Red Brick Aspen
