A Facelift for Le Grande Dame of Aspen and the Entrance to Valley Fine Art
Let’s face it, any Grande Dame who is 131 years old may need some work done. Her resplendent interior, with glowing wood textures and royal hues, was marvelously remodeled in 2015/2016 and updated with modern conveniences and a rejuvenated historicity. And now it’s time to help the old lady with her mountain-weathered exterior.
Our home, The Wheeler Opera House, has occupied the corner of Mill and Hyman since its opening in 1889, and survived a fire in 1921. The stonework is amazingly intact, and still expresses the craftsmanship of those 19th century builders’ ability to stack stone on stone for 3 stories without compromising their integrity in physics.
But nothing is perfect and gravity will pull at any weaknesses in construction, creating the need for shoring up, replacing or polishing the wear and tear.
Current events that have prompted the closure of the Wheeler Opera House are also providing a perfect opportunity to complete scheduled work, on the stonework, in a much shorter time frame than was originally scheduled. For a few months, likely to be September 15 through November, the façade will be screened from view with scaffolding, debris netting and printed banner wraps while the contractor replaces compromised pieces with custom-fitted stones.
We feel honored to have our home in such an important piece of Aspen History, where culture and the arts are continually celebrated, where comedy and music bring laughter and lift spirits and where we enjoy watching as patrons stroll by, stopping in to spend time with us and our extraordinary artists.
Like the Wheeler, it was in the 1880’s that Edward S Curtis, our premier historian and photographer of the North American Indians, was encouraged by President Theodore Roosevelt, and underwritten by J. P. Morgan a fellow tycoon to the builder of the opera house, Jerome B. Wheeler. While you spend your entertainment time online, please enjoy the following:
Shadow Catcher – This documentary is about the historically important work and journey of Edward Sheriff Curtis: https://youtu.be/ZhNNmo2Si-o
The Valley Fine Art website has our current inventory and a biography for the artist (link: https://www.valleyfineart.com/edward-curtis-photos-for-sale/#inventory )
While we wait with anticipation for the reveal of the finished stone restoration project, Valley Fine Art will remain flexible to the progress as to if we will be open. We will always be available for appointments: 970-920-9193, or call for any questions.