James Niehues, a celebrated artist behind the evocative hand-painted depictions of more than 200 ski resorts, announced a release of his collection of original paintings and sketches covering the past 35 years, as he steps away from creating ski resort trail maps to focus on other projects.
On October 19, Niehues will release his first set of 10 originals showcasing the breadth of his work spanning resorts across the United States including select original paintings and sketches of Brighton, Mount Hood Ski Bowl, Northstar, Killington Pico, Okemo and Heavenly.
Two of the original works – Snowmass and Telluride – are among the most rare items in Niehues’ collection. They feature his early work with Snow Country Magazine from more than 25 years ago. They will be auctioned with 100 percent of the proceeds going to support the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame.
“I have always enjoyed the challenge of fitting an entire mountain on a single page,” Niehues said. “Mountains are wonderful puzzles, and I knew if I painted with the right amount of detail, they would last. A good design is relevant for a few years, maybe even a decade. But a well-made map is used for generations. As I retire from painting ski maps, I am thrilled to know hundreds of my maps are still used by skiers and snowboarders, including my earliest work from the 1980s.”
In addition to the original Snowmass and Telluride paintings, 25 framed limited edition canvas prints of each mountain will be for sale, signed and numbered by the artist. Further releases of Niehues’ collection of his original paintings and sketches will be announced in the coming weeks.
Niehues also announced his collaboration with Wagner Custom Skis, which will feature his art as part of its custom ski graphics. Wagner Custom will donate a pair of its custom skis featuring either Snowmass or Telluride as part of the fundraising effort for Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame.
Finally, in conjunction with the release of his originals, Niehues will be making available a single, one-time only non-fungible token (NFT) for Snowmass and Telluride with proceeds supporting the Colorado Snowsports Museum. Additional details will be available later this month.
To be the first to know about future original releases and to keep up-to-date on Niehues’ journey to document the beauty of America’s public lands, visit jamesniehues.com.
