New mural by artist Shepard Fairey addresses “disproportionate art access” in mountain resort town

By Spencer Wilson

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    ASPEN, Colorado (KCNC) — A new mural in one of Colorado’s most popular resort towns is getting a lot of attention, not only for the man who painted it, but because what it can represent for the mountain community that’s sometimes called “elite.”

The project was spearheaded by Katie Kiernan, an Aspen native and owner of the 212 Gallery. She saw another opportunity to break art free from its exclusive confines with the help of a well-known artist.

“You get to engage the whole community instead of just having only a solo exhibition in a traditional gallery setting,” Kiernan explained. “It’s this opportunity to make the art accessible, to bring it to the people by bringing it out into the public realm.”

To do this, she brought in an artist whose brand is tied to social justice, eco-preservation, and making art for all: Shepard Fairey.

You’ve seen his iconic “HOPE” poster of former President Barack Obama and his ubiquitous “OBEY” designs. Fairey said Aspen was a place where the opportunity to address the imbalance between high-class galleries and public art that anyone can stumble upon and enjoy was well within reach.

“I think outside art is important everywhere,” Fairey stated. “Having art that represents the possibility of any citizen being able to express themselves … that reminder that we’re all part of the community. We’re all citizens entitled to our little say, and I think that art can be a reminder of that.”

Fairey has now created two murals in Aspen. One, titled “Endless Power,” graces a wall in a “once-overlooked alleyway,” according to Kiernan, and was painted back in 2018. The other, painted just this summer, is titled “One Earth,” and wraps a gas station wall with a message of unity and environmental stewardship.

“It’s really about honoring the fragility of nature and inspiring people to protect nature,” Kiernan said on her take on the piece.

Fairey expanded on that theme, connecting this latest mural to his previous visits to the Roaring Fork Valley.

“The need to preserve the environment and thinking about justice for future generations, you know, having a planet with clean air and clean water, not just good views, but things that really contribute to health.”

That’s not a message Fairey wants people to have to pay to experience. While his concurrent exhibit at the 212 Gallery features collectible art with price tags only some have the money to afford, Kiernan notes that Fairey’s commitment to accessibility is absolute.

“We have $50 posters, $2,500 editions, and then $75,000 and $100,000 original canvases,” she said. “There’s always that commitment to being sure that anybody at any stage in their love and appreciation of art can have access to it.”

The murals have fundamentally changed how people see the town, transforming what Kiernan called “essentially very dull, unremarkable spaces.”

“One was just a dark alley that nobody really looked at,” she recalled. “The mural near The Big Wrap has now become one of the most beloved landmarks in town. It’s the most photographed corner in the city of Aspen.”

She expects something similar for this new mural, already drawing eyes from the gas station as visitors and locals fuel up.

Fairey himself referenced the transformative nature of putting colors and subjects into a space where there was nothing but brick before.

“People said they never even noticed the potential for that wall to be a really interesting, curved, 180-degree canvas until I painted it,” he said. “So if nothing other than that idea of how art can activate things unexpectedly, that’s enough. That’s great for me.”

Aspen resident Nick Becker called Fairey’s work “sick” — in a good way.

“I love Shepard Fairey,” Becker said. “I think he totally blessed this town with his artwork.”

“It was great to have him in town for a few days. I wish we could have him every week. Thank you, Shepard!!”

The project aims to prove art’s power is magnified when it meets people where they are. As Kiernan put it, “You have a museum-quality art experience while you’re filling your gas tank, it’s fantastic.”

For Fairey, he said that’s a huge piece of what he’s working to accomplish, by moving his canvas from a gallery to the gas station he hopes the work becomes more than just an image, but a starting point for conversation.

“Art can play a more significant role in driving dialogue and shaping culture when it’s in accessible spaces than when it’s just in galleries and museums,” Fairey added. “(Galleries and museums) are a little bit intimidating to people. So, all of my art is meant to have a point of view and be accessible, but especially the public art.”

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