INTERSECT ASPEN ART + DESIGN FAIR PROGRAM ANNOUNCED:
Intersect Aspen will present their most robust programming offered to the community to date, including the following events:

Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies Tour
Tuesday, July 28, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Discover the lasting influence of Herbert Bayer during a guided tour of the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies. Guests will explore Bayer’s groundbreaking contributions to art, architecture and design, and his enduring impact on Aspen’s cultural identity.
*This tour will meet at Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies.

VIP Preview & Reception
July 28, 2–5 p.m.
Including the unveiling and presentation of the Intersect Artist Awards at 4 p.m., honoring Paul Nicklen and Jay Kelly as the Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair Artists of 2026,

General Admission Opening
July 28, 5–7 p.m.
The Opening Day reception will continue welcoming General Admission ticket holders, featuring the beats of DJ Mayfly.

The Wild Through the Lens: Paul Nicklen on Photography, Conservation and Reverence 
Wednesday, July 29, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Renowned National Geographic photographer, filmmaker and conservationist Paul Nicklen shares how powerful imagery can inspire environmental awareness and action. Through remarkable stories from some of the world’s most remote landscapes, Nicklen examines the intersection of art, conservation and visual storytelling. The conversation will be moderated by Ann Mullins.

Work in Progress: The Practice of Return with Leo Marmol
Wednesday, July 29, 2–3 p.m.
Acclaimed architect Leo Marmol, managing partner of Marmol Radziner, explores the relationship between architecture, art and place. Drawing on decades of award-winning work, Marmol discusses preservation, craftsmanship and the creative process behind designing spaces that inspire.

Red Brick Center for the Arts Tour
Thursday, July 30, 10–11 a.m.
Experience Aspen’s vibrant creative community during a guided tour of the Red Brick Center for the Arts. Guests will visit artist studios, learn about the organization’s mission to support Colorado artists and gain a deeper understanding of the region’s thriving arts ecosystem.

Aspen's Creative Legacy - Photography and the Power of Place - A Conversation with Peter Waanders & Rupert Jenkins
Thursday,  July 30, 12–1 p.m.
Rupert Jenkins, historian, curator and author of Outside Influence: Photography in Colorado, 1945–1995, explores the evolution of Colorado photography from the landmark 1951 Aspen Conference on Photography through the rise of contemporary digital practice with moderator Peter Waanders, President and CEO of Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Jenkins examines the artists, educators and cultural influences that helped shape Colorado's photographic legacy and enduring impact on the medium.

Creating an American Icon: Photography, Storytelling and the West with Carrie Scott & Norm Clasen
Thursday,  July 30, 2–3 p.m.
For more than five decades, photographer Norm Clasen has helped shape the visual language of the American West. After making Aspen home in 1962, Clasen built an acclaimed career photographing the region's sweeping landscapes, wildlife and working cowboys before creating some of the most recognizable imagery of the American West through the landmark Marlboro campaign. Moderated by Carrie Scott, founder of Seen, the conversation explores Clasen's remarkable career, the enduring appeal of the West, and how photography has influenced the way generations have experienced—and imagined—its landscapes, culture and spirit.

Howling at the Moon - A Conversation with Brandon Ralph
Thursday, July 30, 4–5 p.m.
In his Moon Landing series, Brandon Ralph creates the uncanny illusion of lunar landings unfolding here on Earth. Using a suspended sixteen-foot illuminated balloon printed with the moon’s topography, Ralph constructs each scene as a single-frame photograph; resulting in images that feel simultaneously cinematic, surreal, and strangely believable.

Ralph will explain his process including his most recent location for this series - Aspen. The conversation will be moderated by award-winning journalist from the Aspen Daily News, Geoff Hanson.

Aspen Film presents: Time and Other Materials
Thursday, July 30, 6:30–8 p.m., Isis Theatre
Presented in partnership with Aspen Film, Time and Other Materials is a documentary that follows five Colorado artists as they navigate creativity, craftsmanship and the passage of time. The screening celebrates five remarkable artists and offers an intimate look at the people and practices shaping Colorado’s contemporary art scene.
*Screening located at the Isis Theatre.

The Art of Transformation - A Conversation with Jay Kelly
Friday, July 31, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Join Jay Kelly, a recipient of the 2026 Intersect Aspen Artist Award, for a conversation covering Kelly’s intricate collage practice and learn about his transformation of found imagery into layered compositions that explore memory, nostalgia, and visual storytelling. Through careful reconstruction and juxtaposition, his work creates new narratives from existing materials, reflecting the ways images shape personal and collective experience.

The Colorado Connection, presented by the Red Brick Center for the Arts 
Friday, July 31,  3–4 p.m.
The Colorado Connection, presented by the Red Brick Center for the Arts and moderated by Sarah Roy (Executive Director, Red Brick Center for the Arts), brings together artists Whit Boucher, Kinga Czerska, John Doyle and Topher Straus for a conversation celebrating the artists helping define Colorado’s creative identity. The panelist will discuss their individual practices, the influence of the Rocky Mountain West and the state’s growing presence within the national and international contemporary art conversation.

Art & Social Consciousness with Paula Crown
Saturday, August 1, 2–3 p.m.
Paula Crown leads a thought-provoking discussion exploring how contemporary art can foster dialogue, challenge assumptions and inspire social awareness. The conversation examines the unique role art plays in shaping culture and engaging communities through creative expression.

Additional Artists Attending Intersect Aspen 2026:
Dean West — A contemporary photographer and visual artist known for cinematic, highly constructed imagery that blends photography, storytelling, and digital composition.

Cristina Mittermeier — A renowned photographer, marine conservationist, and co-founder of SeaLegacy, recognized globally for her work connecting visual storytelling with environmental advocacy.

Donna Isham and Mark Isham — Donna Isham's presentation at Intersect Aspen debuts Gaze, a new immersive installation that merges painting, projected light, sound, and original music from an acclaimed composer, Mark Isham, into a contemplative sensory environment.

Additional confirmed visiting artists include: Robert Bristow, Caroline PM Jones, Russ Connell, Mick Burson, Claire Cusack, Cybele Rowe, Deasa Turner, Odile Jacottarte, Rex Wilder, Simon Bull, Bekah Bull and KURZ.  

Intersect Aspen is also proud to welcome Carrie Scott—founder of Seen, a next-generation art consultancy that is committed to bringing transparency to the art world—to the fair this year. Scott is an English-American curator, gallery director, TV presenter, and art writer based in London who will be leading panels and generating relevant content throughout the fair.

Fair dates and hours: 
July 28, 2–7 p.m. (VIP Preview and Reception from 2–5 p.m.)
July 29, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. 
July 30, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. 
July 31, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. 
August 1, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair Location:
Aspen Ice Garden 
233 W Hyman Ave
Aspen, Colorado 81611 
www.IntersectAspen.com

Tickets for Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair 2026:
VIP/All Access Passes and Run of Show Passes are now on sale and can be purchased here.

VIP Opening Preview & Reception Sponsor:
Treadwell

Official Sponsors:
Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia
Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey
Aperol

Primary Beneficiary Cultural Partner:
Aspen Community Foundation 

Cultural Partners: 
Anderson Ranch Arts Center 
Aspen Art Museum 
Aspen Chamber Resort AssociationAspen Community Foundation
Aspen Film
Jazz Aspen Snowmass 
Powers Art Center
Red Brick Center for the Arts / Aspen Public Art
Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies
Snowmass Mountain Club 
TACAW

Media Partners:
Artnet
Art & Object 
Aspen Daily News 
Aspen Sojourner
Modern Luxury - ASPEN Magazine
The Aspen Times

Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair looks forward to another year of progressive programming and welcoming both guests and locals to Aspen to experience the town’s signature art and design fair. For more information, please visit www.IntersectAspen.com. 

Media contact: 
Meredith McKee 
meredithbrettco@gmail.com
303-641-3674

About Intersect Art + Design:
Intersect Art + Design produces cultural events that connect galleries with art lovers and collectors, highlighting art and design locally, regionally, and globally. Presented by Tim von Gal (CEO) and Dirk von Gal (President & COO), the Intersect team is committed to building community and connectivity in the locations of the fairs. Through cultural partners, programming, and curatorial vision, Intersect offers year-round opportunities for dialogue, engagement, and inspiration. 

Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair is an annual art and culture event taking place each August in the heart of one of the nation’s most prestigious collector communities. Formerly known as Art Aspen, it has been running since 2010. 

Intersect Palm Springs Art + Design Fair takes place in February and presents modern and contemporary art and design. Formerly known as Art Palm Springs, it has been running since 2012.

Visit the website at IntersectFairs.com and follow along on social media @IntersectArtandDesign. 

About Tim and Dirk von Gal, owners of Intersect Aspen Art + Design:
In 2021, Tim and Dirk von Gal relaunched Aspen’s annual art fair, Art Aspen, as Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair. The brothers are from Connecticut and now reside in Georgia. Both have a deep affinity for Aspen. Dirk worked as an Aspen ski instructor in the 1990s and Tim has been a long-time visitor to Aspen. When they were presented with the opportunity to relaunch the summer art event, they were honored to take on the project and have since given the fair new life and energy while expanding its programming.

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