Aspen Art Museum facts for kids
Aspen Art Museum Building designed by architect Shigeru Ban
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| Established | 1979 |
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| Location | 637 E. Hyman Avenue Aspen, Colorado United States |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums. |
The Aspen Art Museum (AAM) is a special place in Aspen, Colorado, USA, where you can see amazing contemporary art. It was started in 1979. This museum doesn't collect art to keep forever. Instead, it shows new and exciting art from different artists. You can see all kinds of art here, like drawings, paintings, sculptures, and even art that uses computers and screens.
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The Museum Building
The Aspen Art Museum moved into its new home on August 9, 2014. This cool building is located at 637 East Hyman Avenue. Before that, the museum was in an old hydroelectric power plant.
Designed by a Famous Architect
The new museum building was designed by a very famous architect named Shigeru Ban. He won a big award called the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014. This museum was the first building he designed in the United States.
What's Inside the Building?
The museum is quite large, with four levels and about 33,000 square feet of space. It has eight different areas where art is shown. These include six art galleries, a special sculpture garden on the roof, and an outdoor area.
Cool Features of the Building
Shigeru Ban's design includes five main cool features:
- A Grand Staircase that connects the floors.
- A Moving Glass Room Elevator that lets you see outside.
- A Woven Wood Screen on the outside of the building.
- A Wood Roof Truss, which is a strong wooden frame for the roof.
- Walkable Skylights that you can walk on while looking down into the museum.
Museum Accreditation
The Aspen Art Museum is officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for museums. It is also part of the Association of Art Museum Directors. This group includes leaders from art museums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Being Green
In March 2009, the museum joined a program called "ZGreen." This program helps businesses in Aspen be more friendly to the environment. The museum works to recycle, compost, and hold events that create almost no trash.
Artist Programs
The Aspen Art Museum has a special program called the Distinguished Artist in Residence Program. It started in 2006.
What is an Artist in Residence?
Each year, this program invites artists to come to Aspen, Colorado. While they are there, the artists work on creating new art. This new art is then shown in the museum's galleries. As part of the program, the artists also talk about their work and give lectures to the public.
