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Parties

Inside the Art World’s Packed Aspen AIR and ArtCrush Kick-Off

Tucked under the forest canopy of an expansive estate, the Aspen Art Museum and real estate group Saslove & Warwick reveled into the night.

Cultured Magazine

July 28, 2026

Presented by Douglas Elliman

Lucas Oliver Mill, Nicola Lees, and Riley Warwick pose for a portrait in Aspen — Lucas Oliver Mill, Nicola Lees, and Riley Warwick. Photography by Trevor Triano, and all imagery courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

Aspen’s annual art-world rigmarole officially began on Sunday between verdant trees and 200 purple alliums. On the eve of AIR and ArtCrush 2026, artists, collectors, and more cultural insiders gathered with Saslove & Warwick co-founder Riley Warwick, partner Joshua Saslove, and Aspen Art Museum Artistic Director and CEO Nicola Lees. The evening oscillated between pared-back dinner chatter and a conversation between writer Janelle Zara and London-based advisor Lucas Oliver Mill.

The Scene: The dinner unfolded at the Starwood Estate, a home resplendent with sweeping Rocky Mountain views under a piercing blue sky. Los Angeles-based floral designer Adam Gallagher pushed the setting into the surreal with his floral creations, as an army of purple alliums—flown in from the Netherlands—served as a silent guest at the festivities.

Memorable Moment: Between the cocktail and dinner portion of the evening, Zara hosted an engaging discussion with Mill, one that leveraged their respective expertise across the art world, exploring the changing landscape of the system through the lenses of collecting, advising, and personal taste.

Starwood Estate in Aspen. Photography by Garrett Lobaugh.

The Crowd: Among those taking in the scene were Art Crush 2026 Co-Chair Charlie Pohlad, Director of the Brooklyn Museum Anne Pasternack, Douglas Elliman CEO Michael Liebowitz and President Lena Johnson; architects Sarah Broughton, John Rowland and Cristof Eigelberger; and advisors Peter Bentley Brant and Dana Farouki.

Parting Gift: Guests were treated to CULTURED‘s special-edition Aspen issue, a seasonal snapshot of the region’s charm and must-see happenings.