When Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings bought Utah’s Powder Mountain ski resort for an undisclosed sum in 2023, he first turned it into a private club. He cordoned off 2,000 acres of the mountain and made it accessible only to people who own homes nearby, for an annual fee of between $30,000 and $100,000. Hastings inherited $100 million in debt with his mountain purchase, so he needs to somehow pay off the deficit.
To show that he is also a man of the people, Hastings, the chairman of Powder Mountain, has now opened the rest of the mountain to the Hoi Palloi. He also recently announced that Powder Mountain will build a public art park that will be filled with large-scale sculptures and landscape artworks.
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Artists James Turrell, Nancy Holt, Jenny Holzer and Paul McCarthy have all been commissioned to create works for the project, which is scheduled to open in 2026.
Turrell’s walk-in light installation entitled Ganzfeld Apani (2011) was originally commissioned for the 2011 Venice Biennale and will be installed in a new pavilion along the mountain’s 156 ski slopes and numerous hiking and biking trails.
“At Powder, we want every experience – from the ski resort to the residential community to the outdoor art museum – to be intentionally designed, and integrating art into the mountain is an expression of that consideration,” Hastings said in the statement. “We want to transform Powder into a multi-season destination that combines recreation, art and meaningful connections for our entire community.”
Matthew Thompson is the director of Powder Mountain’s new art program. He developed the original plan alongside Alex Zhang, the company’s chief creative officer, and independent curator Diana Nawi (who was named curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in July).
McCarthy, who is from Utah will create an immersive installation rooted in the mythology of the American West. McCarthy said he was “excited” to be part of “building something special at Powder.” “I grew up in Utah and the influence of Utah and its mountains has been a crucial part of my work. A central theme that sits in both my subconscious and my conscious,” he said.
Zhang described the artists involved as “some of the most groundbreaking of our time” and said their work would “respond to the rugged topography of the mountain.”
Arthur Jafa, EJ Hill, Nikita Gale, Gala Porras-Kim, Davina Semo and Raven Halfmoon have also been commissioned to create works for the project. Additional artists will be announced in the near future.
