Industry News
The beloved Powder Mountain ski resort in Eden, Utah—under new ownership by Netflix co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings—is developing an open-to-the-public art program for large-scale sculpture and land -art throughout the skiable terrain of the mountain and beyond. Powder Mountain, established in 1972, is a nearly 12,000-acre mountainous, multi-season property that is skiable, hikeable, and home to a long history of recreation as one of the largest ski resorts in North America.
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Art planned for the inaugural round of permanent acquisitions and site-specific commissions includes James Turrell, whose walk-in light installation Ganzfeld Apani (2011)—originally commissioned for and displayed at the 54th Venice Biennale—will be installed in a new trailside pavilion nestled within the mountain’s 156 ski runs and numerous hiking/biking trails. In collaboration with the Holt/Smithson Foundation, a major 1980s Nancy Holt work will be executed permanently at Powder Mountain. Additionally, Jenny Holzer will create a new series of text-based engravings on rock, and Utah native Paul McCarthy will create an immersive installation rooted in the mythology of the American West.
“I grew up in Utah, and the influence of Utah and its mountains has been a critical part of my work. A core subject, sitting in both my subconscious and conscious mind. I am excited to have the opportunity to realize a work in that landscape and to be a part of building something special at Powder Mountain.”
– Paul McCarthy
Also among the artists in the first round of commissions will be EJ Hill, following his MASS MOCA solo presentation of a functional roller coaster, who will create a site-specific design for two of the mountain’s new ski lifts. Arthur Jafa, Nikita Gale, Gala Porras-Kim, and Raven Halfmoon are also executing commissions for the project, with additional artists to be announced in the coming months.
“At Powder, we want every experience —from the ski resort to the residential community to the outdoor art museum—to be intentional, and the integration of art into the mountain is a manifestation of that consideration. We aim to transform Powder into a multi-season destination that blends recreation, art, and meaningful connection for our entire community.”
– Reed Hastings, Chairman of Powder Mountain
Matthew Thompson, Director of Powder Mountain’s new art program, who conceived the inaugural plan alongside Alex Zhang (Chief Creative Officer, Powder) and Diana Nawi (an independent curator who was appointed curator of contemporary art at LACMA in July 2024), added, “The curatorial vision is rooted in the intentional integration of art into the landscape and the seasonal rhythms of the mountain, drawing deep connections to the legacy and enduring influence of the historical land art projects of the American West. We want to empower a diverse and intergenerational range of artists to create ambitious experiences in the landscape that broaden the story of land art and expand its possibilities.”
Powder Mountain is located within a few hundred miles of some of the world’s most impactful large-scale works of land art, and the overall curatorial ethos and intended visitor experience is an homage to the region’s legacy. From ancient petroglyphs and Anasazi sites to Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty (1970) and Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels (1976), Utah is the epicenter of a long regional history of visionary human engagement with the land that dates back thousands of years. Like skiing or mountain climbing, the team behind Powder Mountain’s new art program believes that engagement with land art and outdoor sculpture can yield an immensely powerful individual exchange with nature.
Powder Mountain will be free and open to the public for hiking and biking during summer and fall seasons and accessible by for-purchase lift tickets and season passes during winter ski season.
Said Alex Zhang, Chief Creative Officer at Powder: “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 be open for the 2024–2025 ski season with selected artworks on view including the EJ Hill commission, with a grand opening of the new art program slated for 2026.
