Harry Teague Architects, Town of Vail/Courtesy Photo
The town of Vail created its Art in Public Places program and board in 1992 as part of an effort to improve its cultural vitality. Over the years, the program has grown the town’s public art collection to over 70 pieces and is continuing to create new opportunities to grow the arts and cultural scene in Vail.
The Art in Public Places board recently approved a five-year strategic plan for the program, looking ahead to 2028. Among the board’s top priorities is to build an Artist in Residency studio and program.
The program aims to bring diverse art perspectives to the town, providing anyone from emerging artists and students to those more established in their careers with an opportunity to work and create in Vail. Artists would be welcomed year-round for residencies between two and six weeks.
In addition to hosting an artist and giving them space to create, the program would also seek to engage the community with the residency through educational programming and more.
The town piloted the residency program in July 2023, welcoming Washington-based visual artist, Squire Broel, to Vail. According to the Art in Public Places website, Broel interacted with the community, sharing work, practices and inspirations while in Vail.
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“His sculptures are layered with reference to nature, history, contemporary culture, individuality, and community. The completed work will be installed during the summer of 2024,” the website adds.
However, while the pilot was considered a success, something is still missing.
“After the momentum and the traction we gained this last summer with our inaugural Artist in Residency launch, what we took away was we don’t have the space or the home base or the resource to have that sense of identity,” said Molly Eppard, the town’s Art in Public Places coordinator.
It’s also something Vail has never had before.
“This would be the first dedicated visual arts space within the town of Vail, which is something we’ve noticed over the past couple of years was greatly lacking,” Eppard said.
Finding a home
Creating a residency program for Vail has been in the works for nearly two decades.
In 2003, the town’s Planning and Environmental Commission first granted a conditional use permit to convert a small, historic structure in Ford Park into a studio of the program. Transforming this structure into an art studio was identified in the 2013 Ford Park Master Plan. In 2016, East West Partners donated $50,000 to create the studio. This money has been used to help plan the studio project.
However, it wasn’t until 2019 that the vision for the studio began to really develop and come together. While the initial structure won’t be used, the same Ford Park site is still being contemplated for the studio. In October 2022, the Arts in Public Places board approved the initial design, created by architect Harry Teague. From 2022 to 2024, the board and town have been working through the design and entitlement process.
On Tuesday, March 5, the Vail Town Council received an update on the studio’s progress from Eppard and Greg Hall, the town’s public works director.
“We feel pretty strongly that we’re here to commit from an Art in Public Places standpoint, not only with the funding we’ve committed as well but from a board and what that looks like for the community and creating that enrichment,” Eppard said.
Hall said that as currently planned, the studio is “a very iconic architectural statement.”
“Harry always talked about this being a jewel in the park. He specced out the biggest jewel in the park the first time we had it. Some of the window details, there was zinc siding, a very fancy garage door and we went out and got some pricing and it was significant,” Hall said. “So working with a contractor and the design team, we dialed it back.”
The project team replaced or found alternatives to some of the more extravagant finishes until it landed on a “bare bones” design that will get the job done, Hall said. The space will include a bathroom, a small office and storage area, a lofted storage area as well as approximately 450 square feet of working studio and display space. There is additional outdoor space adjacent to the studio for further programming and workspace.
However, even dialed back, the structure is still coming in at a higher cost than originally budgeted.
Initially, the town had committed $600,000 to the project, and $250,000 was committed from Art in Public Places. Now, with estimates closer to $1.5 million for the studio, the art board committed to raising and dedicating an additional $360,000 but was still short. On Tuesday, the project team requested the town commit an additional $300,000 to ensure the studio could move forward.
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Hall noted that the town had “significant savings” from its 2023 Real Estate Transfer Tax fund, from where the $300,000 could be reallocated.
Giving support for the Artist in Residency program and studio, Town Council members gave their initial approval. Official approval of the budget adjustments will occur in a future budget supplemental.
“I think this is a great opportunity for us at the town of Vail, we’re always looking for something new, something new for our guests,” said Council member Dave Chapin. “I’m all in here.”
Looking ahead, the goal is to continue to push the project forward into construction, with hopes that the Artist in Residency studio can host its first artist in Spring 2025.