Anderson Ranch Arts Center is the place to be this summer as the nonprofit hosts its 60th anniversary during the highly anticipated Ranch Week. Happening July 13-18, this annual signature event will include a special film screening, premier lectures, Ranch Gala and Ranch Picnic and Auction. The ranch’s International Artist Honoree Marilyn Minter will be celebrated and in attendance throughout the week.
Since 1966, the Ranch has been a pillar of art making, education and critical dialogue. Situated on 5 acres in Snowmass, the Ranch attracts a wide breadth of people, from children and teenagers to aspiring creatives and internationally renowned artists, to participate and learn together in stimulating workshops through seven disciplines: photography and new media, ceramics, painting and drawing, furniture design and woodworking, sculpture, printmaking and digital fabrication.
“The Ranch really embraces and has a local community. It’s an open campus and very much part of the community here,” President and CEO Peter Waanders said. “It’s also an international destination where artists, art educators, workshop students, residents and speakers come. It’s this great cross between an international participant group and an informal, welcoming open campus for anyone in the community to be part of.”
During Ranch Week, the campus becomes a flurry of activities that weaves the communities together. Doubling as a critical fundraiser, supporters come in droves highlighting the Ranch’s deep roots.
“Ranch Week is our biggest week of programming and fundraising … It is filled with celebration,” Lindsy Fortier, Director of Marketing and Communications, said. “It’s an opportunity for us to connect with the community in a big way, with our donors, hopefully generate new donors, and to continue supporting the Ranch’s work.”
The week begins on July 13 at Aspen’s Isis Theatre with a free public screening of Pretty Dirty. Named Vogue’s top documentary of 2025, the film is a “powerfully compelling” take on Marilyn Minter, an iconic contemporary American artist whose hyper-
realistic paintings, photographs and videos challenge modern perceptions of glamor and beauty. The evening is highlighted by a Q&A with Minter and Amanda Benchley, the film’s director and producer. Producer Sue Hostetler will moderate the event.
Then on Tuesday, July 14, the annual Summer Series: Featured Artists and Conversations program will engage audiences with an invigorating conversation between Minter and Lisa Phillips, Director Emeritus at the New Museum in New York. This free and open-to-the-public event takes place at the ranch.
“Minter is a huge force in the art world,” Waanders said. “She really labored for decades as a teacher and painter, largely working around ideas of how women are portrayed and treated. She looks at fashion and the glamor side of society and how we relate and interact with that.”
Minter will receive the International Artist award at the Ranch Gala happening on July 15. This ticketed event includes a cocktail hour and campus-wide activations followed by dinner, presentations and a thrilling auction filled with world-renowned contemporary artists.
Ranch Week will end on July 18 with its family-friendly and widely popular Ranch Picnic and Auction. This free event is an opportunity for locals, visitors, families and supporters of the Ranch to experience its communal environment. The day will include live music by local band Wild Flight, hands-on children’s art activities, face painting, a silent auction and more. Attendees can enjoy complimentary hot dogs, popcorn, lemonade and iced tea or purchase a $17 wristband for an all-you-can-eat option from the Anderson Ranch Cafe.
“The idea of the community coming together and joining the artists on campus for a meal goes back to the late 60s, early 70s,” Waanders said. “It used to be a potluck. They put a big table down the middle and people would bring their shared dish. Gathering together and sharing a meal feels so authentic to the ranch.”
The silent auction comprises over 130 works donated by leading contemporary artists, local creators, workshop students and faculty members, and is a chance for bidders to take home a piece of the ranch’s history.
“It’s a real mix of artists who are the heart and soul of the ranch,” Waanders said. “We have trustees and supporters who will tell you what year they bought their piece … Taking home a piece of the ranch is part of what makes this so great.”
At Anderson Ranch history is cherished and the future is bright. While art making and education bring people to the campus, it is the connections and stories they create that keep them coming back.
“For such a long time, the ranch has been an inspiring place in our valley. It is filled with locals, outsiders, guests, who are all coming here with a shared purpose to be creative, make something new and learn something new,” Fortier said. “There is a never ending parade of stories to tell with the people who come through our gates. Something inspiring, interesting and thought provoking is always happening in the studios here.”
Anderson Ranch welcomes the community all summer long, including at the weekly Friday Lunch Auctionette. Visit andersonranch.org/events/ranch-week-2026/ for more information about Ranch Week, including event parking and registration.