Green Mountain Falls, CO, April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A captivating new Skyspace by James Turrell, the legendary light and space artist, broke ground this weekend in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. Opening this summer during the annual Green Box Arts Festival, the installation will be the first in the state of Colorado and the first nestled into the side of a mountain. Overlooking a lake and bathed by the rustling of aspens, the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace will be composed of natural stones and wood species, materials specific to Colorado. The immersive installation, which will be named by the artist upon completion, will be a harmonious addition and wholly distinctive to Green Mountain Falls, while preserving its natural setting. In addition, a new trailhead will deliver hikers directly to the sheltered Skyspace in the hills above. The Skyspace installation was commissioned by the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation.
“Through this momentous James Turrell installation, Green Box invites you to contemplate the wonder, calm and connection of something truly unexpected and life-affirming,” said Green Box Co-Founder Christian Keesee. “The Green Box team looks forward to sharing this one-of-a-kind experiential work of art, and the rest of the extraordinary 2021 slate of programming, with our audiences this summer.”
“It is our hope that visitors looking for renewed inspiration and meaningful new perspectives will return to the serenity of Green Mountain Falls and James Turrell’s meditative new Skyspace year after year,” added Green Box Co-Founder Larry Keigwin.
At an elevation of 7,800 feet, amid the foothills of Pikes Peak, Green Mountain Falls is an idyllic retreat a short 90-minute drive from Denver and 20 minutes from the heart of Colorado Springs. An instant pilgrimage destination, the Turrell Skyspace will attract global arts enthusiasts, first to Green Mountain Falls, and ultimately on a journey through an entrancing conifer forest for a transcendent reward.
“Green Box couldn’t be more pleased to welcome this site-specific Skyspace to the beautiful Green Mountain Falls landscape,” said Green Box Deputy Director Scott RC Levy. “As it showcases the Colorado sky and seasons, viewers will be enveloped in a rare, personal and rewarding sensory experience.”
Iconic American artist James Turrell (born 1943) is known for cultivating peaceful and powerful environmental works of art that focus on human perception. His interest in the physical presence of light and space derives in part from his Quaker heritage. Turrell’s autonomous Skyspaces, with ceiling apertures open to the sky, may be understood as creative observatories – a combination of architecture, sculpture and atmosphere perfectly positioned in nature. The Green Mountain Falls Skyspace is one of more than 85 that the artist has designed and built across the globe.
About Green Box
Green Box’s visionary co-founders Christian Keesee and Larry Keigwin believe that arts and education are critical to the vibrancy and wellness of our communities. What began as a week-long residency with Keigwin’s New York-based dance troupe has blossomed into a year-round celebration and incubator of multidisciplinary visual and performing arts for visitors from Colorado and around the world. The summer festival’s hallmarks of accessibility and experimentation in a spectacular natural setting offer curious audiences a fresh and playful approach to some of the most compelling dance, public art and music being produced today.
With an active artist-in-residence program, educational offerings and creative experiences for audiences of all ages, Green Box seeks to enrich and engage its community and visitors for generations to come. The organization has developed partnerships with the local school district and community organizations to enhance its reach, furthering its commitment to nurturing creativity and appreciation for different perspectives.
For detailed information about this year’s Green Box performances, community events and classes, please visit greenboxarts.org.
About the Green Box founders
Christian Keesee is the manager of his family's office, which invests primarily in banking, energy related projects and philanthropy in New York, Colorado and Oklahoma. He is also involved as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Frick Collection, a Trustee Emeritus of the American Ballet Theatre, a Trustee of the Tate Americas Foundation and Founder and Trustee of Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center.
Larry Keigwin is a New York-based educator and award-winning choreographer and dancer, whose diverse portfolio of work has been performed at venues around the world. He is the founder and artistic director of KEIGWIN + COMPANY, serves as the director of dance of the Green Box Arts Festival and is the dance editor of the quarterly arts publication ArtDesk.
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