Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/67357
FROM THE PUBLISHER Backstage at the Wheeler Opera House with John Oates during his annual 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival As publisher, I sometimes get to travel ho are foremost in their professions. The idea, of course, is to grant in that rarified atmosphere with those w Aspen Peak readers access to the hottest literati, artists, singer-songwriters, filmmakers, skiing legends, and fashion designers. This past winter, Aspen was a revolving door for geniuses from afar. With Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, at a Winter Words Author Salon held at the Vickers Collection Aspen Peak partnered with the Aspen Writers' Foundation to create a new Author Salon Series that brought best-selling writers, including Ann Patchett, Jonathan Wells, Michael Chabon, and Kathryn Stockett, into town for a chat, frisson, and hors d'oeuvres. And there's more on the way. Join us August 13 for a salon at the Isberian Rug Co. Gallery with Chad Hardbach, author of New York Times best-seller The Art of Fielding. Aspen also has a penchant for making memorable music. At the third annual 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival, John Oates, Darrell Scott, Sam Bush, and Matt Nathanson all hit it out of the park. We wouldn't be Aspen, however, without skiing. During the 1970s, our town was the epicenter of world pro skiing. A tribute to Aspenite Bob Beattie, coach of the 1964 US Olympics ski team that won four medals, evoked those glory days. Beattie also coached the University of Colorado to two NCAA titles and cofounded the World Cup tour. A former Nastar commissioner, he is a member of the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. We also attended the opening gala for Yves Saint Laurent: The With ski legend Bob Beattie (TOP) at the World Pro Skiing Tribute, held in his honor, and with best-selling author Michael Chabon (BOTTOM) Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum, and chatted with curator Florence Müller and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. Denver is the only US city to host the exhibition. As Pierre Bergé, Laurent's longtime collaborator and partner, told the crowd, "Why Denver? But of course, because it is Denver!" Yet only in Aspen can you approach a fellow skier, in this case Antonio Banderas, in a local ski shop, ask him to grace the cover of this magazine, and have him say, "Yes, of course. Sure." Enjoy everything this town has to offer. ALEXANDRA HALPERIN 26 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN PROCTOR (OATES); DANIEL BAYER (STOCKETT, CHABON); MATT POWER (BEATTIE)