‘Silver Queens’ to mining ‘Claims’: Aspen resident Marilyn Lowey’s art on display

A visit to Aspen’s City Hall is not the first place people think of when they want to see beautiful and compelling works of art, and yet, that’s exactly where people should go.

A prominent new piece of art by local artist Marilyn Lowey, titled “Silver Queen,” was recently installed in Aspen’s City Hall on May 13 as part of a new City Hall exhibition and will remain there for two years.

“People don’t even know it’s there,” Lowey said of the latest City Hall artwork.

This coincides with another of her new works, “Claims,” which was recently installed at the Red Brick Center for the Arts. “Claims” will be featured during a public opening reception from 5-7 p.m. on June 5 and will remain on display for two months until Aug. 2 as part of the “2025 Colorado Juried” exhibition. 

Both works relate to the region’s mining history.

Lowey’s work on “Silver Queen” stems from her 2023 exhibition at The Art Base, which explored familial relationships; a significant piece from that show was inspired by her grandmother, who immigrated to New York City from Russia at age 16. 

Her grandmother would recount how she found the Statue of Liberty awe-inspiring. This impactful story prompted Lowey to research the statue’s roots, inspiring her to create an abstract sculptural torch for The Art Base exhibition.

Her research led her to the Aspen Historical Society website, where she delved into the history of mining in the Roaring Fork Valley. In doing so, she discovered the original Silver Queen — a majestic statue embodying the region’s mining legacy.

Historical accounts of the Silver Queen appeared in black-and-white 1850s photographs, as color photography was not yet available. She undertook extensive research, unearthing descriptions of the statue’s original colors, which included various shades of silver “sheep’s wool” and vibrant gemstones. 

The statue was crafted by an artist in Pueblo, Colorado, and housed in a large building dedicated to minerals and gemstones. Lowey then reimagined the Silver Queen, infusing it with color and an abstracted contemporary look. The piece has the knack of changing when seen from different angles. She said it’s important for viewers to look at work from varying perspectives.

“One of the themes of my work is that the eyes see one thing, and the brain translates it into something else,” she said of her interpretation.

“What resonated with me,” said Sarah Roy, executive director of the Red Brick Center of the Arts, “is that she’s playing with representation and abstraction.”

Lowey worked with the original photograph, which is a real object. Then, she created what is called an abstraction by putting it in a mirror, so it becomes fractured.

“As you move through space, you can see the effect of a mirror reflected, so you never see it in its full state. When we think about Aspen, or reality in general, we can’t see the whole thing. We need different perspectives to see it,” Roy said. “So I like the tension in this piece because it’s dynamic, and it is mirrored by using this reflective material intersecting with a photograph.”

The historical Silver Queen notably represented Colorado at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, also commonly known as “The World’s Fair.” Later, the statue, created with various silver and gemstones, mysteriously vanished. Many believe it to have been stolen. Efforts to find its whereabouts have reached dead ends, Lowey noted.

For Lowey, the Silver Queen deserves a visible place in Aspen’s contemporary landscape. The sentiment appears to have resonated with the City Hall Public Art selection committee, leading to the installation of her evocative piece.

Lowey’s prolific career includes numerous accolades. She explained how her background as a successful theatrical lighting designer, winning an Emmy in 1986, and designing lights for notable figures such as Pope Benedict XVI, Neil Diamond, and Diana Ross influences her art. She has also been a Fellow at the Aspen Art Museum and received an Aspen Vibrancy Grant. 

Now, she is working on a full art show centered on Aspen’s mining era.

“Mining is an integral part of our life and the standard of life then versus what it is now,” she said, describing this phase of her artwork that has taken a turn to abstract this local history, marking a shift away from some of her earlier, more theatrical installations.

For more information, visit marilynlowey.com.