Diary
The Radar: Nicola Lees
A museum director’s guide to Aspen
Nicola Lees. Photo: David Dunan. Courtesy Aspen Art Museum
For the latest edition of The Radar—Ursula magazine’s uncommon cultural recommendations from friends and colleagues around the world—Nicola Lees, director of Aspen Art Museum, shares some of her favorite summer spots in Aspen, ahead of AIR, the new artist-led festival launching this July.
I’ve lived in Aspen for nearly five years, and much of what first drew me here still fuels my connection to this remarkable place. Beauty and eccentricity meet at high altitude, and a quiet sense of awe is punctuated by bursts of cultural energy.
After years in cities like London, my hometown, and New York, I’ve come to see geographical remoteness not as a limitation but as a creative catalyst. Aspen is full of surprises, and changes dramatically with the seasons. The mountains are a constant presence, and Aspen in summer feels especially alive. Artists, thinkers and longtime locals converge in unique ways. Whether it’s a visiting artist, a colleague or a friend, I love watching someone form a personal connection to the rhythm and texture of this place. That spirit of discovery is what led me to imagine AIR, the Aspen Art Museum’s new artist-led festival launching this summer. It is a cornerstone of my vision for the museum, shaped by the belief that in-person gatherings spark ideas that resonate far beyond this landscape.
These are a few places I return to, especially when the wildflowers bloom and the town brims with ideas:
Smuggler Mountain
This steep morning climb offers sweeping views and stillness. My dog, Lutz Barker, sets the pace. A dream of mine came true when we presented artist projects inside the Smuggler silver mine with works by Cauleen Smith and Matt Copson. I’ll never forget spotting the museum from the summit when Gaetano Pesce had transformed our façade.
Swedish Hill
The best breakfast in town, full stop. Located on the museum’s rooftop, Swedish Hill offers iced lattes and house-baked pastries—daily temptations against sweeping views of Ajax Mountain. It sits amid rotating rooftop exhibitions and public commissions, where the landscape becomes part of the artwork. Come for the coffee and stay for the art!
“Jeffrey Gibson: The Spirits are Laughing.” Performance at Anderson Park Meadow, Aspen Institute, August 3, 2022. Photo: Adrianna Glaviano
Susie’s Limited Consignments
A true local gem. Our visiting artists have found everything from Comme des Garçons to cowboy boots. It’s the kind of place where you could go every day and come away with something brimming with character—and maybe a memory of recent fashion extremes, failures or triumphs.
Aspen Meadows
Originally envisioned by Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke and designed by Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer, Aspen Meadows is a total work of art, with modernist buildings, winding paths and outdoor sculptures. Today, it hosts programs like AIR and the Aspen Ideas Festival. I also love the rooms at the Aspen Meadows Resort, where Bayer’s vision continues to shape the design. The pool view is unforgettable.
Contemporary Art in Aspen
While I sometimes miss the buzz of New York, Aspen’s art scene continues to grow. I always make time to visit Baldwin Gallery, where Richard Edwards curates with distilled rigor. This summer, one of their artists, Lyle Ashton Harris, will teach at Anderson Ranch, a singular arts center that has welcomed figures such as Nick Cave, Mickalene Thomas and Catherine Opie.
Photo: Dan Bayer. Courtesy Aspen Center for Physics
Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue. Courtesy Vintage Publishing
Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue
I read this novel recently and haven’t stopped recommending it since. I love the way it ricochets through time. It had me from the start: a tennis match between Caravaggio and Quevedo, with Galileo and Mary Magdalene in the crowd? Álvaro Enrigue has this incredible ability to make history feel intimate and alive, like it’s unfolding right in front of you.
Aspen Center for Physics
Nestled in a shady grove of aspen trees sits the Aspen Center for Physics—a deceptively quiet-looking building that serves as a hub for leading minds in the field. Especially in summer, hundreds of physicists pass through to exchange ideas and present findings. Excitingly analog, each room is equipped with a chalkboard layered with equations and hypotheses. We’re honored they’ve opened their doors to Mimi Park, who will present a kaleidoscopic installation in their library using an archive of research journals.
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Since 2020, Nicola Lees has been the Nancy and Bob Magoon Artistic Director and CEO of the Aspen Art Museum. She previously led NYU’s 80WSE and held curatorial roles at Frieze Projects, the Serpentine Gallery and Irish Museum of Modern Art. Lees has produced numerous artist books and catalogues across her interdisciplinary career.
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AIR 2025, Aspen Art Museum’s new artist-led festival, will mark its inaugural edition July 29 to August 1, 2025. Bringing together artists, filmmakers, writers, scientists, psychoanalysts and more, the festival will feature keynotes, performances, installations and dialogues exploring the intersections of art and science, with a focus on the idea of artists as leaders. Participants include Maya Lin, Francis Kéré, Matthew Barney, Jill Mulleady, Andre 3000 and many others. For the full program, visit aspenartmuseum.org/air.