Christo and
Jeanne-Claude:
Thank you for joining us!
Summervail X Vail Symposium presented:
"Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Reflecting on the
50th Anniversary of Valley Curtain and the Artists’ Legacy"
Thursday, July 28, 2022 | 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Vail Mountain School | Vail, CO
Summervail X Vail Symposium presented: "Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of Valley Curtain and the Artists’ Legacy"
2022 | Vail, CO
Dear Summervail Supporters,
On Thursday, July 28 at the Vail Mountain School, Summervail and Vail Symposium welcomed over 100 guests to “Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of ‘Valley Curtain’ and the Artists’ Legacy.” Filled with fascinating insights about the conception of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s wide-ranging projects, the artists’ unique strategies for shepherding installations through to completion, and many amusing memories, even members of our esteemed panel confessed to learning new details about “Valley Curtain” and its short-lived installation back in 1972.
Last week's overwhelming show of support confirmed our team’s greatest hopes - that Vail’s extended community of residents, business owners, creatives, patrons, and summertime guests are both passionate learners and art lovers: so much so that an ephemeral project like “Valley Curtain” still has the power to enchant us 50 years later.
True to form, it is this spirit of learning about and loving art that formed the core of the original Summervail Art Workshop and Critical Studies Program in the 1970’s: The creation of a gathering place for friends and fellow students to participate in an inspiring exchange of ideas and artistic practices guided by experimentation, education, and collaboration. At the Summervail Art Workshop Legacy Project (SAWLP), we now enjoy the great privilege of reviving the legacy of this program’s leadership and ideals for what we hope will be a renewed dialogue about Vail’s profound impact on artistic communities, both here in Vail Valley and at large.
Finally, huge thank you’s to our lead sponsor Discover Vail, lead partner Vail Symposium, and host Vail Mountain School without whom this event would not have been possible!
With deep gratitude,
Ramsey Cotter
Program Director, Summervail Art Workshop Legacy Project
As Summervail seeks to grow its base of supporters and further invigorate the organization’s future programming, please take a moment to fill out this quick survey.
Your feedback will help us better serve our incredible community of art lovers!
For those of you who were unable to attend, please find a video of Thursday’s lecture with Jonathan Henery, Vladimir Yavachev, James Baker, David Yust and Dan Telleen here:
Summervail was hosted on Good Morning Vail on TV8.
Listen to Jim Cotter and Randy Milhoan talking about the Summervail event (20:00).
Interested in learning more about “Valley Curtain”?
Watch “Christo’s Valley Curtain” (1974), an Oscar-nominated documentary short directed by the Maysles Brothers which provides a stunning visual account of the project’s installation.
If Thursday’s panel discussion resonated with you, please help us spread the word about programming hosted by Vail Symposium. Word of mouth is everything and helps power the vibrant intellectual and artistic community that defines Vail!
As the true 50th anniversary of “Valley Curtain” approaches on August 11, be sure to check out the Christo and Jeanne-Claude exhibition “Ephemeral Nature” at Hexton Gallery in Aspen. This eye-opening show, organized in partnership with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation and the Aspen Institute, features never-before-exhibited drawing collages and wrapped objects created for the artists’ “Valley Curtain” and “Over The River” projects in Colorado. On view through September 15.
Summervail, as seen in: Vail Daily, Westword, Colorado Public Radio
In 2010, Colorado Matters Host Ryan Warner interviewed the film director Albert Maysles about his Oscar-nominated documentary “Christo’s Valley Curtain.” Listen to their conversation live at 7pm tonight on CPR or wherever you get your podcasts!
Thank you John LaConte and Vail Daily for yet ANOTHER great story about Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s “Valley Curtain,” and to all of our incredible partners and guests who came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historic art project in Colorado!
Thank you Susan Froyd and Denver Westword for featuring our panel as one of your top stories in July!
“The impact isn’t just left on the people but also that place where it was because the art installations are so site-specific and they become part of the history of the location. It becomes part of the cultural landscape for another generation or two and counting.” — Jonathan Henery
Thank you Tricia Swenson and Vail Daily for this fantastic feature!
A big thanks to our sponsors:
Find educational programs for the Vail Valley community that are thought-provoking, diverse and affordable on Vail Symposium website.
Discover all things great, all year round by subscribing to Discover Vail’s newsletter.
Whether you’re planning a vacation, here for a ski season, or relocating to the area, find out what others have come to realize. Year-round, Vail is a special place! Visit Town of Vail for more information.
The mission of the Summervail Art Workshop Legacy Project is to establish historical preservation of the legacy of the Summervail Art Workshop and Critical Studies Program, which ran from 1971 to 1984 and became an invaluable entity to the Vail Valley and to the art world.
Summervail is an historic art event that took place in Vail for 14 years, every summer during the years 1971 - 1984.
The 1970s and ‘80s were an important time for the arts in this country. It was a time when techniques were being borrowed from industry, scaled down to fit into artists’ studios, and taught in college art departments. New things were happening. Artists and craftspersons were using technology and applying it to their studio practices. Summervail was a location where all of these ideas and processes could be learned and shared. Friendships were formed that endured to the present day. Relationships were formed that inspired future collaboration with visiting artists, faculty exchanges, and cutting-edge exhibitions. Summervail brought together young creatives, students and “fast guns”, pairing them with more established makers.
Donate to support the Summervail Art Workshop Legacy Project to continue our conservation efforts and to help bring more events like this.
SVAW Legacy Project 501(c)3 EIN: 82-3750654
Easy ways to stay connected with Summervail:
-
Subscribe to our Newsletter
-
Make a tax-deductible donation to Summervail
