This week, art collectors are breathing in Colorado’s mountain air as they gather for Aspen ArtWeek and the Aspen Art Museum’s annual ArtCrush benefit auction and gala. On the evening of August 1, art patrons Darlene and Jorge Pérez welcomed guests into their Aspen home for an intimate celebration. The mega-collectors hosted the evening—which included a private tour of their art at home, dinner and a talk with artist Dominic Chambers, the event’s guest of honor—with Lehmann Maupin gallery partners David Maupin and Carla Camacho.
Chez Pérez, guests including Barbara and Bruce Berger, Eleanore and Domenico de Sole, Christy Ferer, Nancy Magoon, Ashley Wein and Sarah Harrelson began the night mingling over Casa Dragones cocktails and passed appetizers that included a seabass ceviche and French onion tart. Hosts Jorge and Darlene led the group on a private tour of their personal art collection and then escorted guests to the dinner table where filet mignon, local striped bass, ratatouille, sweet potatoes and other exquisite bites were served family style and paired with Casa Dragones joven tequila. After cleaned plates were whisked away before dessert, Camacho engaged Chambers in an art dialogue, allowing the invited guests to learn more about the artist’s work, which will be included in Friday's ArtCrush auction. A St. Louis, Missouri native, Chambers’s large-scale canvases pay homage to literary narratives with an emphasis on African American history. A seasonal pie served with ice cream and Casa Dragones Añejo barrel blend tequila provided a sweet ending to the celebratory evening.
Lehmann Maupin has been a staple in the Aspen arts scene and community since 2007 when the gallery began donating to and participating in ArtCrush. In 2020, Lehmann Maupin opened its inaugural pop-up in the Colorado city, one of the first to do so during the global pandemic. Even amidst the lockdowns, the gallery found innovative methods to keep the art community in Aspen connected through its seasonal spaces that allow a new platform for engagement with local institutions and collectors. In 2021, Lehmann Maupin returned to Aspen with a pop-up gallery in partnership with Carpenters Workshop Gallery. This year’s exclusive dinner helped kick off a week of parties, gallery tours and events that will continue the area’s ongoing support of artists near and far.
