Aspen Chapel Gallery celebrates 40 years with ‘Climate’ exhibition

Aspen Chapel Gallery’s 40th anniversary show, “Climate,” is partnering with Wilderness Workshop to continue its tradition of featuring local artists. 

The show opening reception is from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, and it will run through July 6. 

“Our biggest goal is to showcase artists in the valley,” Gallery Co-Director Michael Bonds said.

“We’re the only gallery in this upper location that shows local art. Our main goal is to get artists some kind of exposure.”

The 259th consecutive show represents four decades of displaying local artists. Their anniversary show is an exhibition about the impact of climate; proceeds from 10% of sales and 20% of sponsorships benefit the nonprofit Wilderness Workshop, based out of Carbondale. 

“It’s how climate change really is affecting these photographers’ impressions,” Bonds said while sitting with Gallery Co-Director Tom Ward. 

Ward adds that people can also interpret “climate” as in the environment where you work or live as part of the bigger picture.

“The word ‘climate’ can have a few definitions and artistic possibilities,” said Greg Watts in an Aspen Chapel Gallery statement. “Climate refers to the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place. Another definition would be that ‘climate’ is the prevailing attitudes, standards, or environmental conditions of a group, period, or place.” 

The aim of the show is to encourage attendees to begin shifting their attitudes and perceptions surrounding this concept, according to Watts.

“The hope is that through this show we can raise awareness regarding the warming of our planet,” Watts said. “The science is clear, but how can we change the climate of the discussion?”

Artists participating in the exhibit include Seth Anderson, Joe Baldwin, Andy Better, Theo Corwin, Katalin Domoszlay, Peter McBride, Summers Moore, Greg Poschman, Sallie Dean Shatz, Deb Shannan, and Watts, who will participate and curate the show. 

The gallery’s first-ever show was a watercolor show in June 1985. Cornelia Madsen, who founded the gallery along with Ward, curated the first exhibit. In the early years, it was one show per year, which has climbed to the eight shows per year the gallery has now.

“The theme is far more important now than when we first started,” Ward said. “Back about 25 years ago, themes started coming in. I remember a show called ‘A Twist of Lemon” where every art piece had to have a bit of yellow in it.” 

Aspen Chapel Gallery has partnered with 35 nonprofits and worked in conjunction with five valley high schools to bring in a return of $79,379 in donations from a percentage of the sponsorships and sales.

Every January, the Aspen Chapel Gallery selects 17 artists from five high schools and puts together an exhibition, adopting out the art for donations of $25 up to $200.

Partnering with nonprofits provides reciprocal relationships to these organizations, where all parties involved are expanding their relationships, audience, and goals.

“We feel that being able to give donations back to the community broadens our goals, and it helps each of the organizations,” Ward said.

There will also be an artist talk on June 11, including several of the featured artists and Executive Director of Wilderness Workshop Will Roush. Andrew Travers will moderate.

Both gallery directors are artists in their own right. Bonds is a potter who has a studio at Red Brick Center for the Arts, and Ward is a theater set designer who has worked throughout Colorado.

The Aspen Chapel Gallery is located in the Aspen Chapel, off the roundabout, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Ward at 970-925-8367, Bonds at 970-925-6083, or Aspen Chapel at 970-925-7184, or visit aspenchapelgallery.org.