‘Women of the Aspen Art Fair’ on display at Hotel Jerome

In celebration of ‘The Month of She’ at Hotel Jerome, woman-led 74^tharts and the newly established Aspen Art Fair are hosting a pop-up exhibition at Hotel Jerome through Sunday, March 31.

The exhibition displays the work of five female artists to celebrate Women’s History Month and is a precursor to the inaugural bespoke art fair that will be held at Hotel Jerome from July 29 to Aug. 2, 2024.

“I firmly believe the world is a small place and my passion point exists in connecting communities through creativity and culture. I came up with this plan of having an art fair that was more of a hospitality takeover at the Jerome, which combines my passion points of art, design, lifestyle, luxury, and travel all under one roof,” said Becca Hoffman, founder of 74^tharts. “This exhibition is a nice way to start telling a story. I’m all about celebrating women artists and love the fact that Hotel Jerome is celebrating women this month. So I’m pleased to be a part of that.”

The curated exhibition features the work of five female artists hailing from five locations each with a distinct global voice represented by five galleries. Works include intimate abstractions on light in the works of Heather Gwen Martin from New York’s Miles McEnery, and thoughtful interpretations of the human form in the works of Mathilde Denize from Perrotin’s international roster. Nancy Hoffman Gallery presents a meticulously crafted, never-before-seen series of works by Nathalia Edenmont alongside William Shearburn Gallery’s unexpected hand-sewn portraiture by Cayce Zavaglia. Aspen’s Hexton Gallery will showcase the meditative landscapes of Rachel Garrard to round out the exhibition.

“There’s been a shift in the art industry and more of an engagement with women artists and artists that need a larger, more equal platform. And that to me is refreshing,” Hoffman said. “I come from a school where I don’t believe that monikers and labels should exist. Everyone should have the same opportunities. Now, you’re seeing more demand. You’re seeing more freedom for creativity and more unique storytelling. When somebody different tells their story, in whatever medium they choose, you get a glimpse into their life and a different perspective.”

Hoffman was instrumental in rebranding and upgrading the Outsider Art Fair New York and building the Outsider Art Fair Paris from 2012 to 2020. From 2020 to 2023, she developed art fairs and cultural events in Aspen and Palm Springs for Intersect Art and Design. 

In 2023, she launched 74^tharts, an art business, to explore culture, connectivity, and commerce, with a skilled team and more than 50 years of combined shared experience in the art world.

“There’s a lot to be excited about right now,” she said. “There are a lot of people trying to rethink how we engage with exhibitions, art sales, and art on the whole. I’m excited to break out of the models that we’ve all been accustomed to. And that’s really what my business is about. I’m excited to see the freedom for new stories.”

Hoffman said that she believes a smaller, more intimate and experiential art experience is better for lovers of art, the buyers, and the artists in the long run.

“I believe that it offers the opportunity for more in-depth connection,” she said. “It’s really important when we live in a society that’s very technologically connected, to be able to have the opportunity to sit down and get to know an artist or a curator and remember the artwork you see. It creates a more magical experience.”