Do you like skiing? Do you like art? How about skiing and art? If this affordable deal sounds like a good fit, then Eden, Utah, may be just the place for you. Powder Mountain, a popular ski resort known locally as “Powder,” will be home to the world’s first “outdoor ski art museum.”
Artwork by James Turrell, Jenny Holzer, Arthur Jafa, Nancy Holt and Paul McCarthy will be displayed on a 12,100-acre property that has provided opportunities for skiing, hiking and recreation since 1972. Emerging artists such as EJ Hill, Gala Porras-Kim, Nikita Gale, Davina Semo and Raven Halfmoon will also showcase their work there.
The master plan for the mixed-use venue is by Reed Hildebrand, the same landscape architecture firm that designed the Storm King Art Center sculpture park. Johnston Marklee is designing a new reception center for the sprawling museum. Netflix co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings is funding the project.
The art will be curated by LACMA’s Diana Nawi and independent curator Matthew Thompson, who will serve as director of Powder Mountain’s new art program. Alex Zhang has been listed as Powder Mountain’s chief creative officer.
For artist Paul McCarthy, this project is a homecoming of sorts. “I grew up in Utah and the influence of Utah and its mountains has been a crucial part of my work,” McCarthy shared in a statement. “A central theme that sits in both my subconscious and my conscious. I’m excited about the opportunity to create a work in this landscape and be part of building something special at Powder Mountain.”
Alex Zhang, Powder’s Chief Creative Officer, added, “At Powder Mountain, the fundamental aspects of an alpine resort are reimagined through the eyes of some of the most groundbreaking artists of our time, creating new works that respond to the mountain’s rugged topography, unique infrastructure, history and community.”
Powder Mountain will open for skiing in the 2024–25 season, and the Johnston Marklee Welcome Center is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Renderings and plans from Reed Hildebrand and Johnston Marklee will be released soon, detailing what the site and visitor center will look like.
