Chance meeting leads to deal to put new art into the Eagle County Regional Airport
ArtLifting supports disabled, homeless artists
ArtLifting/courtesy photo
A chance meeting has led to a new public art project at the Eagle County Regional Airport.
According to an email from Assistant Aviation Director Josh Miller, a consultant was on a tour of the terminal building. When asked what the terminal might lack, the consultant quickly said “art.”
The consultant’s sister is a project manager for ArtLifting, a project that buys art from disabled and housing-challenged artists. That led to some initial conversations with ArtLifting Art Advisor Janessa Post.
Terminal Manager Jodi Doney was already looking into an art program for the passenger terminal, and was quickly looped into the talks. She started working with Post in earnest on developing a program.
Those programs have some high-profile participants. There are partnerships with Hallmark, Bank of America, Delta Airlines and others.
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In a statement, Post wrote, “We are thrilled to bring the work of ArtLifting to the Eagle County Regional Airport. The rotating art exhibits will introduce thousands of travelers to the work and stories of artists with disabilities, raising awareness about this community and their talents while supporting the artists directly.”
The Eagle County Board of Commissioners recently approved a four-year contract with ArtLifting to twice rotate pieces into and out of the terminal. Each rotation will cost about $19,000, which includes curation services to select pieces and determine where they’re placed.
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Michael Korcek of ArtLifting said the way the group operates includes meeting to learn about a space, selecting art and creating a collection of art to be used in that space.
Korcek said ArtLifting’s current collection includes 800 original pieces and another 3,500 high-resolution prints. The ArtLifting website has a profile for every artist.
ArtLifting buys the art. At resale, 55% of the proceeds go to the artists. Another 1% is donated to local art centers. ArtLifting gets the remainder.
Miller in an email wrote that local officials were attracted by the idea of using ArtLifting as a “one-stop shop.” ArtLifting was able to “help us navigate the decisions on where art should be placed, and what art would work with our architecture and space.
After a modest, two-year start, Miller wrote there could be more to come.
“There is plenty of space to expand our art program further moving forward,” Miller wrote.
The current contract includes works from five artists, one of whom, Lucas Farlow, is based in Colorado. Miller told the commissioners that local artists could be brought on in the future.
During the meeting, Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry asked about the fate of current photos from the Eagle County Historical Society.
Miller said some will be relocated to make room for the new pieces.
For more information, go to Artlifting.com.
