Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/681153
146 aspenpeak-magazine.com Art-inflected (clockwise from above left): Mark Cesark's Don't Tread on Me flag welcomes visitors to CBMM's reception; 4 Glass Pyrographys, by Etsuko Ichikawa, hangs in the penthouse conference room; John Kelly's iconic Cowboy harkens back to Aspen's Western heritage in the main conference room. photography by Steve Mundinger Art is indelible, armed with the power to enhance, even transform, spaces. "I can put 10 different works of art in a single room and the result is 10 different rooms," says 212Gallery Owner Katie Kiernan. So when Coldwell Banker Mason Morse decided to remodel and upgrade its 9,000-square- foot historic Hyman Avenue office last year, at the top of their list was featuring a curated art collection that spoke both to Aspen's artistic legacy and to the aesthetic needs of their collecting clientele. The resulting spaces created by Kiernan pay homage to town's Western heritage as well as artists like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Donald Judd, who were all brought to Aspen in the '50s and '60s by late Carbondale collector John Powers. The sculpture-meets- painting flags of local artist Mark Cesark sit alongside photographer John Kelly's iconic Cowboy. And then there's Udo Nöger's 2 Fields—which reminds Kiernan of the way light dances on snow—and Russell Young's Magnificent Seven, an ode to the adventurous spirit that has led many to Colorado. "Without question [this collection] has complemented our building and brand," says CBMM President Will Herndon. "A collection of curated art can transform an old space and add value." That value extends beyond CBMM's offices: Kiernan has also worked on homes for sale. Says the curator and gallerist, "[I want] to speak to the sophis- tication of their clients." 212Gallery, 525 E. Cooper Ave., 970-925-7117; 212gallery.com. Coldwell Banker Mason Morse, 514 E. Hyman Ave., 970-925- 7000; masonmorse.com . one of aspen's top gallerists transforms an iconic office into a tour of town's artistic history. rooms with a viewpoint Space collab