Anderson Ranch Arts Center announces 2026 summer season in Snowmass

Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village has announced a full summer series lineup, expanded Ranch Week programming and activations across Aspen Art Week.

The summer will also include the Critical Dialogue Programming.

Full 2026 Summer Series: Featured Artists and Conversations Lineup

The Ranch’s staple Summer Series “brings together leading artists, curators and cultural voices for in-depth public conversations, and will include a conversation presented with the Aspen Art Museum to kick off its flagship initiative AIR,” according to a press release. The series  will take place weekly from July 9 through Aug. 6, with the full roster as follows:

• July 9: Roberto Lugo in conversation with Carmen Hermo, Lorraine and Alan Bressler, curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• July 14: Marilyn Minter, the 2026 International Artist Honoree, in conversation with museum Director, Curator and Author Lisa Phillips 
  • Ranch Week Summer Series Lecture
• July 23: Athena LaTocha in conversation with Valerie Cassel Oliver, Sydney and Francis, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• July 27: Aliza Nisenbaum in conversation with Jane Panetta, Aaron I. Fleischman, curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
  • Kicks off the Aspen Art Museum’s AIR
• Aug. 6: Las Nietas de Nonó, the Afro-diasporic sibling duo comprised of Mulowayi and Mapenzi Nonó, in conversation with Erin Christovale, curator at the Hammer Museum

Registration for the Summer Series is now open at https://www.andersonranch.org/programs/summer-series-featured-artists-conversations/.

“Anderson Ranch Arts Center Summer Series programming is presented by Melony and Adam Lewis in honor of Toby Devan Lewis and sponsored by Christie’s, Pure Insurance and United Airlines,” the release reads.

Ranch Week, Ranch Gala and International Artist Honoree Award

Ranch Week will take place July 13–18 as Anderson Ranch’s “signature annual celebration of art, community and creativity,” according to the release.

The Ranch Gala will take place on Wednesday, July 15, chaired by Sue Hostetler, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, and Robin Loewenberg Tebbe and honoring Marilyn Minter as the 2026 International Artist Honoree. This is an award “presented to globally recognized artists whose work reflects the highest level of artistic achievement and whose careers have fundamentally influenced contemporary art,” the release confirms.

Anderson Ranch will also present a screening of “PRETTY DIRTY” July 13, a critically acclaimed documentary chronicling Minter’s career.

“The film traces the artist’s evolution from the 1970s to today, transforming taboo subjects including alternative beauty, sex, shame and aging into hypnotic, larger-than-life works that have influenced generations of artists and shaped contemporary visual culture,” the release reads.

Following the screening, Minter will be joined by Hostetler and filmmakers Jennifer Ash Rudick and Amanda Benchley for a conversation on the film’s creation, followed by an audience Q&A.

A lineup of events that include artist talks, activations and workshops will also take place including Paula Crown’s half-day workshop “Beyond Judgment: The Work of Critique” on July 13, 15 and 17. The workshop aims to provide a community-focused discussion and critique-based course, encouraging artists to examine intentions while developing skills in close observation, dialogue and thoughtful, nonjudgmental feedback.

The week culminates in the free Ranch Picnic and Auction on Saturday, July 18.

Critical Dialogue Programming

Anderson Ranch is continuing its commitment to critical dialogue through a series of public programs that aim to “explore the intersections of art, design and culture,” according to the release.

• June 30
  • Contemporary Design: Object and Identity
    • Featuring Nifemi Marcus-Bello, acclaimed Nigerian artist and designer; Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; and Kelsey Keith, creative director at MillerKnoll
    • This program will examine the influence of culture and identity on contemporary design practice
  • Register at https://www.andersonranch.org/events/critical-dialogue-contemporary-design-object-and-identity/.
• August 4
  • Collective Individuality: Culture as Celebration
    • Featuring Jean Shin (Seoul, South Korea), Juana Estrada Hernandez (Mexico) and Yana Payusova (Leningrad, USSR)
    • This program will explore how diverse cultural perspectives shape artistic practice and community
    • Register at https://www.andersonranch.org/events/critical-dialogue-collective-individuality-culture-as-celebration/.

Both programs are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Anderson Ranch at Aspen Art Fairs 

The Ranch will serve as a Cultural Partner to The Aspen Art Fair from July 29 – Aug. 1 for its third edition, presenting the Anderson Ranch Arts Center Visiting Artist Prize.

“This prestigious honor grants selected artists from the fair a one-week residency at the Ranch, with access to studios across disciplines, including painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography and more,” the release reads.

The 2025 prize winners, Bethany Collins (represented by PATRON) and Ana González (presented by Sean Kelly) will visit and lecture at the Ranch in fall 2026.

At Intersect Aspen Art + Design, from July 28 – Aug. 1, the Ranch will present two dedicated booths: one focused on prints from its Editions Program and a second highlighting its Photography Program.