Lynn Goldsmith/Courtesy photo
From a veteran locals show turning 20, to a new Shepard Fairey mural, the launch of AIR, and the return of native daughter, Maria Semple, Aspen’s arts and culture scene continued to excite and delight in 2025.
‘The Local’s Show’ reaches 20th anniversary milestone
It’s easy to have a dream. It’s another thing altogether to make it happen. Yet, that’s exactly what Erik Starvan did as the creator of Aspen’s “The Local’s Show,” now celebrating its 20th anniversary on GrassRoots Community Network and cementing its place as the longest-running local TV show.
“It’s the locals that still make this valley truly special, one of a kind,” said Skarvan.
It all began when Skarvan, a local media personality, envisioned a hyperlocal television series that could inspire others. With that in mind, he has produced more than 600 episodes highlighting local talent on this beloved Aspen-centric show.
“I’ve learned a lot about the residents,” he said. “The reason I started the show was to feature locals. I think it’s the most relevant television there is. What’s more relevant than your neighbors?”
He has stayed true to his mantra, refusing sponsorship and funding from entities outside of the area.
“It’s Erik’s idea and completely his show,” said John Masters, executive director of America’s original public access television station, GrassRoots Community Network, founded in 1971. “GrassRoots doesn’t have any input on what he does. It’s a perfect model and example of what community access is.”
The show shoots every Wednesday at Red Brick Center for the Arts and airs on Thursdays. Each year, the show has a winter series, followed by a summer series, kicking off in June.
— Jennika Ingram
Shepard Fairey returns to Aspen to gift new permanent mural
World-famous street artist Shepard Fairey returned to Aspen Monday, July 21, to create a new mural for the community — a permanent work he will be painting from July 22 to July 25.
“Aspen is a really beautiful place, and I did my show there in 2018,” Fairey said.
Fairey’s return will include a trifecta of the mural, an exhibit, and a celebration, similar to 2018. Globally known as the creator of the iconic Obama “Hope” poster, Fairey is a conscientious artist who champions art accessibility for all economic levels.
Locals and visitors alike have been watching Fairey in action, painting from approximately 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The finished mural will be officially unveiled to the public at 5 p.m. on July 25, and Fairey will be present for a free, limited capacity Artist’s Reception at Studio Como from 6 to 8 p.m.
Tourists Mitch Burger and Anya Brown, visiting Denver from Columbus, Ohio, heard about the mural the morning after they arrived and spontaneously drove up to Aspen just to see the artist at work before driving back to Denver a few hours later.
“This is my favorite artist, so we made the trip out here to see it.” Burger said. “His pieces are always super beautiful. It’s definitely going to add, rather than subtract. I am excited to see the finished product even if it’s just online.”
— Jennika Ingram
Whistles are calling: Indigenous artist featured at Aspen’s AIR Festival
Indigenous Artist Cannupa Hanska Luger’s installation of five ceramic whistles, titled “Volume,” is part of the inaugural 2025 Aspen AIR Festival’s “Life As No One Knows It.”
The ceramic whistle sculptures will only be on display through the end of the summer at the Aspen Art Museum.
On his way into town last week, the charismatic Luger lost his phone after it flew out of his car and had to be replaced, and there’s a touch of irony in the incident. Luger was en route to debut a sonic art installation, while his own means of communication was temporarily stifled.
“I am on my way into Aspen, and I pitched my phone off the hood of my car at 60 miles per hour!” Luger said of the snafu.
Fortunately, Luger quickly secured a replacement phone in Basalt. Yet the irony didn’t end there —. Luger’s installation for the festival was temporarily hushed when he realized he had to reduce the volume so it would be suitable for Aspen locals as it emanated into the landscape.
Yet grit is part of his persona, and nothing deters him as he shares his sonic and spatially immersive works, blending imaginative ideas with technology.
— Jennika Ingram
Aspen native Maria Semple returns for literary festival debut
New York-based global selling fiction writer Maria Semple, raised in Aspen, will return to her childhood stomping grounds when she speaks at the first Aspen Literary Festival. She brings her signature wit and the success of her immensely popular novel “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” along with a preview of her upcoming book, “Go Gentle.”
The author attended Aspen Country Day School and used to deliver The Aspen Times as a kid. She will appear on a panel moderated by New York Times Book Review Editor Gilbert Cruz, from 11 a.m. to noon Sept. 26, followed by a book signing. The event takes place at Aspen Community Church.
Semple will talk on the “Charting Their Own Course” panel about novels featuring “women who surmount challenging circumstances and refuse to conform to the futures laid for them. This conversation explores what it means to overcome personal and societal expectations and how to live when life takes you in unexpected directions.”
As a fifth and sixth grader, Semple delivered The Aspen Times newspapers, picking up stacks of papers from the alley behind Carl’s Pharmacy.
— Jennika Ingram
Margaret Cho leans into Korean heritage for Aspen’s Solo Flights
Comedy pioneer Margaret Cho will bring her trademark wit and deeply personal storytelling to the mountains next week in her latest endeavor, “Mommy: A One-Woman Cho.”
“For me, it’s very unique. This is a totally new kind of thing,” Cho said. “You know, it’s not my stand-up comedy. It’s a comedy, but there are a lot of really difficult themes in talking about familial abuse and talking about history.”
Cho is known as fearless, hilarious, creative, and charismatic. She advocates for anti-racism, anti-bullying, and supports gay rights. She’s constantly reinventing and expanding her career.
As a multi-talented performer, Cho is recognized for stand-up, film, television, and podcast appearances. She’s also an author, singer, songwriter, and plays guitjo, an instrument combining elements of guitar and banjo. Now, she’s venturing into the role of a playwright.
In this genre-blending solo show, she takes on the role she often embodies in her comedy — her own mother — revealing inconvenient family secrets and themes of survival.
— Jennika Ingram
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.aspentimes.com ’
