You’ve been an entrepreneur in the art business for almost three decades. How did it all begin?
I grew up surrounded by art. I'm a third-generation art dealer, though I didn’t always know I’d follow that path. Early on, I pursued a career in film and eventually found my way into producing. I was drawn to storytelling—I still am—and I thought that’s where I’d stay.
But during those years on set, I started paying closer attention to the artwork being created for our various productions. It sparked something. That familiar pull toward art, and the artists around me, reignited. I launched a small art publishing business to help give a broader platform to a few artists I knew, but it grew quickly—eventually evolving into a much larger company with international gallery distribution. We have now published over 250 editioned projects and staged hundreds of gallery and institutional exhibitions.
It wasn't until later in life that I fully understood the impact of being a third-generation dealer. Growing up, my father often welcomed artists into our home when they came to exhibit at his gallery. I’d sit with them at breakfast, listening to their kaleidoscopic views of the world. Those conversations stretched my thinking in ways I couldn’t articulate at the time, but they left a lasting impression.
Recently, I wrote my dad a note. I told him: “I think those experiences allowed me to pass something unique on to my children—that they may see the world through a broader lens and remain open to new and shifting ideas. If I were to define a meaningful legacy for you, untethered from any material accomplishments, there would be no greater legacy than forever empowering the intellectual curiosity of those who follow in your footsteps.”
That’s exactly what he did for me, and I’m deeply grateful.
Today, I still find joy in collaborating with artists and giving them new opportunities to express their visions. In many ways, I’ve come full circle—I realized recently that I am still telling stories, just through static images instead of moving ones.
How did you decide to relocate your gallery business to Aspen?
Aspen was, first and foremost, a lifestyle decision. I wanted my children to grow up in the mountains, to have a real relationship with nature—something I feared they might lose in the city. Have you read Last Child in the Woods? It talks about how kids today are becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world. That resonated with me.
But of course, I had to figure out how to balance that with my work. The question became: “If I want to live in the mountains as an art dealer, where can I go?”
In this country, the only serious answer is Aspen. It has the lifestyle of a small town, but the cultural depth of a major city—world-class institutions, collectors, and patrons. Initially, I didn’t move the gallery. I ran the publishing business and gallery remotely, and handled private sales locally.
Then I found the perfect space. But more importantly, I found the right partner—Agustina Mistretta, who is now our Director. We shared the same ambition: to build a robust contemporary program in the mountains, showcasing emerging artists alongside major estates like Christo and Jeanne-Claude. And off we went.
How did the Aspen Art Fair at the Historic Hotel Jerome come about?
Honestly, it happened very organically.
I had long envisioned a cultural platform that could bring together Aspen’s many artistic voices—something that reflected the depth of what this town offers. Connected to that was an influx of blue-chip galleries who had done pop-ups here post-covid. They loved being here, but didn’t quite know how to sustain it.
What was missing for me was reciprocity and longevity. The pop-up model felt like it encouraged taking more than giving—something that didn’t feel aligned in a place like Aspen, nor was it aligned with my friends who had come to set up these galleries. It reminded me of Jim Hodges’ piece Give More Than You Take, which became iconic here through the Aspen Art Museum’s Art in Unexpected Places project with Ski Co. That phrase stuck with me and I wanted to honor the sentiment.
With the fair, I felt I had the chance to do something that truly added value to the community. A space where people could engage with world-class galleries and artists, connect with our local institutions, and be part of a meaningful dialogue—all within Aspen’s unique cultural landscape.
When we made the deal with the Hotel Jerome, everything fell into place. It’s one of the town’s most historic and luxurious venues. By anchoring the fair there, we could create something different from the ubiquitous, convention-center fairs scattered across the globe. We envisioned a salon-style experience, intimate and elevated—set on the fifty-yard line of Aspen, right in the heart of town. I thought we would get a good response the first year but it far exceeded my expectations. I am looking forward to the fair being an important annual event and another pillar of Aspen’s longstanding cultural heritage.
