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HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.apz.20080902AGENDA ASPEN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, September 02, 2008 4:30 p.m. -Public Hearing SISTER CITIES, CITY HALL I. ROLL CALL II. COMMENTS A. Commissioners B. Planning Staff C. Public III. MINUTES IV. DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST V. PUBLIC HEARINGS: A. ZG Master Plan B. Lift One COWOP Master Plan (Please brinE last week's materials) VI. OTHER BUSINESS VII. BOARD REPORTS VIII. ADJOURN MEMORANDUM TO: Planning and Zoning Commission FROM: Ben Gagnon, Special Projects Planner ~~ THRU: Chris Bendon, Director, Community Development DATE OF MEMO: August 28, 2008 MEETING DATE: September 2, 2008 RE: Zupancis-Galena (ZG) Master Plan REQUEST OF COMMISSION: Staff is not requesting any formal action from the P&Z, but expects to heaz questions, comments and general feedback on the proposal. BACKGROUND: This public hearing was continued from August .26, when the Planning and Zoning Commission was unable to review the plan due to a lack of time that evening. On Sept. 2, staff will review Part I and Part II of the application, using a 3D presentation to illustrate the site plan and inviting representatives from each party to make a brief presentation. Part I focuses on the site plan, including the at-grade layout, the location and massing of buildings, and the location of pedestrian routes and open space. Also included is a description of architectural character, using text and a "palette" of photos. Finally, there is a description of landscape architecture using text and photos that illustrate various landscaping concepts. Part II focuses on the proposed mix of uses at the site, outlining how each party became involved in the ZG Master Plan, and the reasoning behind why certain parties seek to be located at certain sites within the ZG Master Plan. Attached as Exhibit C is a copy of a 50-minute DVD that was produced with GrassRootsTV and was aired last winter - included in the DVD aze narrated powerpoint presentations from each party on why they are part of the ZG Master Plan. At a future public hearing, the presentation will focus on the 10-15 yeaz phasing plan for the ZG Site, as well as a review of mitigation efforts that are planned for each phase. ATTACHMENTS: Exhibit A: ZG Master Plan: Part II Exhibit B: Aspen Art Museum list of partnerships Exhibit C: DIED THE ZG MASTER PLAN A Civic Campus The purpose of the Zupancis-Galena (ZG) Master Plan is to create a Civic Campus next to Aspen's downtown core, complete with uses that reflect Aspen's identity -from an expanded library to the historic County Courthouse, new open spaces, new pedestrian paths, a sig- nature art museum, protected homestead cabins, affordable housing, the police and sheriff's office and city & county offices. For the ZG Site itself, the overall intent is to fit together a number of differing pieces to create a "big picture" that is greater than the sum of its parts. From a larger perspective, the "LG site should be a transitional place -one that naturally attracts people from the dense and compressed urban fabric of the downtown and into the wide open spaces of Rio Grande Park and the Roaring Fork River Corridor. The ZG Master Plan stands on the shoulders of the Civic Master Plan, a regulatory document adopted by the As- pen Ciry Council in December 2006. The purpose of the Civic Master Plan was to "provide guidance for the future use of publicly-owned properties between Evolution of the Plan MARCH 12. 2007 The ZG Partnership was established when the City, Pitkin County, the Aspen Art Museum, the Chamber and the Library signed An Agreement to Initiate Joint Planning. The agreement split the X25,000 cost of a two-day charrette. MARCH 22-23, 2001 More than 30 people attended the two-day charrette, which generated four different scenarios for the ZG Site. Toward the end of the charrette, a "thumbs exercise" was conducted to evaluate the pros and cons of the different scenarios. Y ~ ' s_s;~", y ~~F ~ -- ~~f ~'- ~~lt ZG Master Plan 3 Aspen Mountain and the Roaring Fork River." The ZG Master Plan is an extension of the Civic Master Plan because it focuses more closely on a series of specific public properties between Main Street and Rio Grande Park. The ZG Master Plan relies on the findings and recommendations of the Civic Master Plan to paint a clearer picture of this unique site. In fact, the ZG Master Plan is legally required to show "consistency" with the findings and recommendations in the Civic Master Plan. Above: Loca! citizens take part in the two-day charrette in March 2007. THE ZG MASTER PLAN AUGUST 15, 2007 Approximately 55 people attended a public meeting in the Rio Grande Meeting Room, focusing on pedestrian movement, and open space and view corridors rather than massing and heights of buildings. NOVEMBER 15, 2001 Approximately 75 people attended a public meeting in the City Council Chambers for a meeting on "why they should be located at this site and why the space is needed," as stated in the newspaper advertisement. The ZG Partnership acknowledges this was not a highlight of the public process. The partnership did not anticipate such a crowd - the food ran out, the quarters were very tight, there were technical problems, and the presentations ran long. There was no thumbs exercise, but several questions and comments were made, including wanting more open space and fewer buildings at Galena Plaza; an objection to the need for additional government office space; a preference for the Art Museum to remain at its current site; and two overall supportive comments. The ZG Partnership then produced a 55-minute version of the presentations made at this meeting shown on GrassRootsTV. MARCH 1 Z, 2008 A large public meeting with more than 120 people in attendance was held at the Jerome Hotel Ballroom to show a 3D version of the draft site plan, with about 90 people participating in a "thumbs exercise." MAY 21, 2008 The City Council voted to initiate a formal Master Plan process the ZG site, pursuant to Section 26.104.030 of the Land Use Code. Since that time, the ZG Partnership has been in the process of drafting an updatedLG Master Plan document for consideration by the Plamiing and Zoning Commission and the City Council. ZG Master Plan Top: Charrette participants go through the "thwnbs" exercise, providing feedback on four different scenarios for the ZG site. Above: More work on the charrette in the library meeting room. At left: The advertisement drat ran in IocaJ papers asking people to attend the 3-D presentation in March 2005 at the Hotel Jerome. PHYSICAL DESIGN A Transitional Site: Urban Density to Openness The Waterfa I I Effect The ZG Site is located directly between the compressed urban core and the open space of Rio Grande Park and the Roaring Fork River Corridor. The five- acre ZG Site must be a transitional place, where the density of the urban core falls away and opens to the park and the river. The topography of the ZG Sitc, dropping 30 feet from Main Street to Rio Grande Park, suggests a metaphorical waterfall effect: New pathways as tributaries, new open spaces as eddies and wider stairways as waterfalls. While the waterfall effect is only a metaphor, the ZG Master Plan does call for modest irrigation ditches and other water features, such as those that bring pleasant sounds, imagery and life to the pedestrian malls. ZG Master Plan 5 Top: The parking areas inside the Galena Street Extension and in the jail parking lot are two of the numerous barriers between Main Street and Galena Street Park. Above: The proposal opens up two north-south pedestrian ways in conjunction with new open spaces. PHYSICAL DESIGN North-South Pedestrian Flow Main St. to Galena Plaza to Rio Grande Park "Ihe ZG Master Plan proposal would establish a dramatically improved North- South pedestrian way from Main Street through Galena Plaza and down to Rio Grande Park in a number of ways: • Dramatically widening the stairway from Galena Plaza to Rio Grande Place; • Improving the visually obstructive elevator/stairwell feature in Rio Grande Plaza, while still providing elevator/stair access from the garage to the plaza; Relocating public safety parking on Galena St. Extension to an underground garage at the Zupancis Property; thereby making Galena St. Extension a "shuttle-only" vehicle way, and using paver designs to create an inviting park setting starting at Main Street; • Designing an Art Museum building with compelling architecture to create a strong visual cue for people on Main and Galena streets to draw people to the site. PEAN RECOMMENDED: "the design of a dramatically improved pedestrian way from Main Street, through the Galena Street Extension, Galena Plaza and stairway down to and through Rio Grande Park." Top: The existing vrew shows a number of barriers to pedestrian movement, both north-south and east-west. Above: The proposal shows a "green" srte, where vehicles have been relocated to an underground garage beneath the Zupancis Property at right, allowing for additional open spaces and dramahcally improved pedestrian routes. 6 ZG Master Alan PHYSICAL DESIGN East-West Pedestrian Flow Galena Plaza to Courthouse Park the ZG Master Plan proposal would establish a dramatically improved East- Westpedestrian way from Galena Plaza, behind the Courthouse and through a new open space area • Removing the visually and physically obstructive parking lot between the Pitkin County Jail and the Courthouse by relocating public safety parking to an underground garage at the Zupancis Property, and under the jail parking lot; • Creating a new pedestrian path through a new park on the former jail parking lot site.lhis not only builds on and adds value to the adjacent Veteran's Memorial Park, but it also pays greater respect to the Courthouse by creating a "green ring: around this historic structure; • Designing a County Complex nn the Zupancis Property with compelling architectural features to draw pedestrians from Galena Plaza, behind the Courthouse and to the County Complex. Top: The jail parking lot, beyond the Courthouse, forms a barrier for west-east movement. Above: The proposal envisions a more inviting corridor behind the courthouse. ZG Master Plan 7 PHYSICAL DESIGN North-South Pedestrian Flow Courthouse Park to Homestead Cabins to Rio Grande Park Zhc ZG Master Plan proposal would establish a dramatically improved North- South pedestrian way from Veteran's Memorial Park, next to the historic Zupancis homestead cabins and into Rio Grande Park in a number of ways: Creating a new park on the farmer jail parking lot site; Creating a new "pocket park" with interpretive materials featuring the three historic landmarkLupancis homestead cabins taward the south end of the Zupancis property; • Creating a new pedestrian path extending north from the new park at the former jail parking lot site, with a green walkway on top of what will become the covered driveway to the underground garage.'Ihis pathway will be at or close to the same grade as the historic Zupancis cabins with a spur into this new pocket park.llus new pedestrian path will empty out onto Rio Grande Place. Top: This vrew shows the back corner of the existing County Plaza building at nght with the larl parkrng !ot in the foreground, and the jail at Leff. Above: The proposal creates anorth-south pedestrian route that "walks" by the historic cabins at the same grade. 8 ZG Master Plan PHYSICAL DESIGN open Space Galena Plaza: Framing a Picture One of the central goals of the Civic Master Plan was to animate Galena Plaza. Rather than give up on this under-used open public place, the concept was to retain more than 95% of the plaza -- including the entire "center circle" -- while surrounding it with modest built edges that create a sense of intimacy that makes so many urban public parks successful. As noted on pg. 16 of the CIViI ;Master Plan: "Buildings are not merely placed into the outdoors, they actually shape the outdoors" • "An outdoor space is positive when the buildings around it create a distinct and definite shape, as definite as the shape of a room." At the same time, the ZG Master Plan does not want to overwhelm the plaza with towering buildings: • The ZG Master Plan calls for a one-story building at the north edge, creating a public meeting hall that is far superior to any existing public meeting spaces in the City (Please see Part II: Mix of Uses for more details); The ZG Master Plan calls for the signature Art Museum to be no higher than two stories along the eastern r^_olona Dlaoo cL,n~~ld ho edge -not on]y to keep a modest built edge for the plaza, but to step down substantially in height from the County Courthouse, leaving that historic structure as the grandfather of the ZG site; Rather than a library expansion that extends directly into the plaza, the ZG Master Plan calls fora "frame" design, so the two-story expansion forms an "L'"shape around the northwest edge of the plaza. Top: The existing view from above shows a relatively undefined public space. Above: The signature. art museum would be Located at right (green), with the L-shaped library expansion at left (yellow) and the public meeting rooms at top (orange). ZG Master Plan 9 PHYSICAL DESIGN open Space Courthouse Park One of the most dramatic changes proposed in the ZG Master Plan is to eliminate the existing parking lot between the jail and the courthouse - replac'tng it with a new open space area. this new open space will be directly adjacent to Veteran's 1~lemorial Park, which is now somewhat hemmed in by the existing jail parking lot. Creating a new green space will not only bring a more open feeling to Veteran's Memorial Park, but will create a "green ring" around the historic Courthouse. Top: The existing view shows vehccles on two sides of the courthouse. Above: The proposal creates a "green ring" around the courthouse. 10 ZG Master Plan PHYSICAL DESIGN open Space Homestead Cabins: A Pocket Park The new Courthouse Park will be connected by a pedestrian path to another new park: An interpretive pocket park featuring three homestead strucnires built in the 19th century on the Zupancis property. Today, these cabins are largely unseen, as they are perched high above the driveway to the jail parking lot, at the back corner of the long and thin "Zupancis property. However, when a new pedestrian path is built on top of what will be the underground driveway to the underground garage, people will be able to walk from Veteran's Memorial Park, through Courthouse Park, and along the pedestrian path at or near the same grade as the homestead cabins. This will allow pedestrians to regularly enjoy these historic cabins in a way they are not seen or enjoyed today. A spur off the pedestrian path will lead into this historic pocket park, which will include educational materials on the 19th century lifestyle of Aspen. Tnp: The existing view shows the three historic cabins isolated on a bench at left, with the grade dropping abruptly to the driveway at right. Above: 8y building a pedestrran route on top of the underground garage entrance, passersby will have a close-up experience of the cabrns. ZG Master Plan 11 PHYSICAL DESIGN The Historic County Courthouse Grandfather of the ZG Site One of the overarching goals of the ZG Master Plan is to retain the towering County Courthouse as the "grandfather" of the site. This historic structure must remain the dominant feature of the area, and should be respected. The ZG Master Plan accomplishes this in a number of wavs: • Replacing the existing jail parking lot with open space; • Removing vehicles from the Galena St. Extension and making the extension ashuttle-only, pedestrian area; • Combining these two steps to create a "green ring" entirely surrounding the Courthouse; Keeping building heights at the edges of Galena Plaza to one or two stories. 12 ZG Master Plan Top: This is the existing view from the northwest corner of Galena Plaza. Above: This view shows a piece of the L-shaped library expansion at right and the new art museum at left -both stepping down substantially from the height of the courthouse. is ~ou~ty ~ 1~~p~C e Z~ 5ite ~~ ~i ~~ .G. r -~,---~ plaza building ai ;_. and the boxy ~ounthe County Plaza b~ 1 ,uUSe and replaces ~;~ ~. d file ~,,~~ii, . argon , >hp courthouse. ~ pHYSI~~~ ~~SIGM PHYSICAL DESIGN A Frame for Rio Grande Park Removing Another Parking Lot It seems unlikely that Aspen residents would tolerate a 40-car parking lot right next to Wagner Park and the pedestrian malls. But today, there is a 40-car parking lot right next to Rio Grande Park - just a stone's throw from a 350-car underground parking garage. `Ihe ZG Master Plan proposes a respectful frame for Rio Grande Park, one where buildings establish a more defined edge to the park. Zhis affordable housing complex will bring a stronger identity to the park -and the park will bring a strong identity to this local community. At first, the ZG Master Plan sought to maximize the density of this site, but encountered consistent feedback from the public that the mass initially proposed seemed out-of--scale with the arca.'Ihe ZG Master Plan now calls for a set of buildings that form a respectful edge to the park, but retain a triangle of open space on the east side, where people might enjoy a slice of pizza and a coke from alocal-serving establishment. With regard to the mass and scale of buildings on the parking lot site, the current site plan calls for an element of spacing between the buildings that provides modest view corridors between structures -both for general aesthetic purposes and for those who will live in these affordable units. THE CIVIC "In the downtown area south of Main Street, both urban blocks and public parks have clearly defined edges and are recognizable. In contrast, the City-owned parking lots along Rio Grande Place are an unraveled edge that do not c demarcate the end of an urban block and the beginning of a public park ... Creating a clear edge and demarcation bet urban blocks and public parks is a widely recognized and sound urban design concept." 14 ZG Master Plan Top: The existing view shows the parking !ot next to Rio Grande Park. Atrove: The proposal calls for an affordable housing community that serves as a frame, creating a stronger identity for the park itself. Arch itectu ra I Character Creating Indoor-Outdoor Relationships While the ZG Master Plan does not include specific architectural styles - these will be designed and extensively reviewed by the public at later stages of review -the ZG Master Plan does call for the design of buildings to capitalize on the new pedestrian corridors and open space areas created on the site. The ZG Master Plan includes a palette of design concepts, providing examples of building elements that establish strong relationships between indoors and outdoors. While the ZG Master Plan does not require such design on every inch of new structures, there are certain areas where this "transparency" is strongly encouraged. In areas where the new north-south and east-west pedestrian corridors intersect, building design should illustrate a THE CIVIC MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDED: "the design of buiidir7gs within the civic core should incorporate elements that are inviting and welcoming, and enhance the quality of the pedestrian experience." strong relationship between indoors and outdoors - to bring even more value to these new view corridors and their adjacent open spaces. The ZG Master Plan application includes a "palette" of photographs and renderings. These are not intended as specific solutions for the site, but are meant to reflect the concepts of shelter/ framing, movement and transparency. ZG Master Plan 15 PHYSICAL DESIGN Shelter and Framing Buildings form the defined boundaries of public space and may provide gaps to connect to the landscape beyond. Partial enclosure permits the public space to expand, visually and/or physically beyond the public space to vistas beyond. the landscape outside the public space becomes part of the focus. Buildings embrace public space in a variety of ways: SHELTER /PROTECTION • The arcade serves as a transition between exterior and interior spaces, enhances pedestrian movement, and provides character (through rhythm, shade and shadow) to the public space boundary. • The overhang/cantilever maximizes the connection between sheltered space and open space, and creates distinct areas for activity. IDENTITY • the tower or ether landmark structures on the boundary perimeter permit pedestrian orientation within a public space. • Water features, sculpture or other design features within the public space provide focus and centering for users. • Paving patterns create detail, interest and texture for users of urban public spaces. 15 ZG Master Plan PHYSICAL DESIGn PHYSICAL DESIGN Movement Buildings contribute to the pedestrian experience and contribute to movement in a variety of ways: • Stairs and ramps permit vertical movement through a public space and can engage the pedestrian experience with the adjacent architecture. Stairs and ramps provide venues for street "theater"-the interaction of users in active or quiet activities and "people-watching" opportunities. Buildings can shape gathering places for active or quiet public participation. ~-~ ~~.~ . ~~ _r~• 1.~~ .,, ~w A Nli'11~1 ~- I~r N ~ . . ~ ~ 18 ZG Master Plan PHYSICAL DESIGN r ^ n r ~ '. '~# ~o ZG Master Plan 19 PHYSICAL DESIGN Transparency • The porous wall: a>nnections between inside and outside. Openings provide physical connections that expand the exterior and interior experience. Glazing permits views of extended landscapes or interior activity. The transmission of light activates interior spaces in the day and exterior spaces at night. Solid to transparent transitions in walls provide for varied experiences and space quality. 20 ZG Master Plan ~,~.. ~~ P!~'~S~~AL DEStiGN t b~~ PHYSICAL DESIGN Landscape Architecture Water features, flower gardens and greenscape The ZG Master Plan proposes a relatively simple approach to landscape architecture for the site. One of the strongest benefits of the proposal is the new open spaces and new pedestrian routes -taken together, they bring new view corridors that don't exist today. These view corridors should not be obstructed with structures such as built arches or a massive water fountain. Specifically, Galena Plaza should remain free of permanent structures so that it can serve as an outdoor performance area. There should be no mature trees in and around Galena Plaza, both to prevent future breaches in the garage roof and to create expansive views to the park and mountains. This does not exclude removable shading elements, including tents or more creative treatments as cloth that is stretched from building to building. There are several treatments that would be appropriate for the ZG site. These include interesting and colorful pavers for walkways, specifically in the Galena Street Extension, to signify that it is no longer a paved area dominated by vehicles, but a park area dominated by pedestrians. Colorful pavers can extend throughout the site as pedestrian walkways, rather than the existing asphalt -again, to reinforce this area as pedestrian-only. Picking up on the metaphor of the waterfall effect -the ZC site as a descending series of tributaries falling about 30 feet from Main Street to Rio Grande Park, the ZG Master Plan encourages modest water features such as the irrigation ditches found on the pedestrian malls. Additionally, a water feature as a gathering place would be a strong element of this site, as long as the supporting structure is not imposing in size and scalc.Thc overall purpose of any water element on the site is to include the soft sights and sounds of water, reinforcing a pleasant park-like atmosphere. Finally, there may be appropriate areas for modest planted flower gardens at the ZG site, continuing the tradition of the Aspen downtown in summer. Flower gardens should not be encased in excessive structure or serve as barriers for pedestrians to walk around, but could contribute, in a supplemental manner, to the park-like atmosphere. +.~ 22 ZG Master Plan ~~ ~x1~1~61~} 3 Aspen Art Museum Partnerships Anderson Ranch Arts Center In October 2008, the Aspen Art Museum hosts ARAC~AAM: Anderson Ranch at the Aspen Art Museum, an exhibition, in collaboration with the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, highlighting the Ranch's rich history of art-making. This juried exhibition was open to all former Anderson Ranch artists-in-residence, all Anderson Ranch workshop faculty who have taught two or more classes since 1999, all former Andersoh Ranch visiting artists and critics, and all former and current Anderson Ranch staff. Jurors for ARACC>AAMwere Dan Cameron, the Director of Visual Arts at New Orleans' Contemporary Arts Center; Laura Hoptman, the Senior Curator at the New Museum in New York; and Lauri Firstenberg, Director/Curator of LA><ART in Los Angeles. The upcoming exhibition will be accompanied by afully-illustrated catalogue. Aspen Center for Environmental Studies AAM collaborations with ACES were introduced during the summer of 2007 with the "Earthworks" class, which explored the concept of the natural world as both a canvas and an artistic medium. Summer 2008's collaborative class, entitled "Drawing From Nature," focused on studying the workings and creative potential of the natural world through creating art with both traditional and unconventional mediums. Aspen Institute/Aspen Ideas Festival Beginning in the spring of 2007, the AAM began a partnership with the Aspen Institute and the Asppen Ideas Festival to present the AAM Architecture Lecture Series (ALS)-four annual lectures and Q&A sessions with internationally renowned architects from around the globe. Summer 2007 also featured "Redesign, Reconsider, and Recreate," a children's art workshop held during the Aspen Ideas Festival. In February 2008, the Aspen Institute was the venue for AAM exhibiting artist Jeremy Deller's interdisciplinary Marlon Brando, Pocahontas, and Mesymposium, which addressed a number of Deller and musician Neil Young's overlapping thematic concerns, including American identity, history, politics, war, medical innovation, information technologies, and music. Key speakers for the symposium included Marine Captain Rye Barcott, Time Magazine and Gates Foundation "Hero of Global Health;" and, Jonathan Kuniholm, a U.S. Marine Veteran of the war in Iraq, co-founder of Tackle Design-an industrial design and technology firm-and the non-profit Open Prosthetics Project, an organization that puts its research on prosthetic hardware designs on the Internet and allows the public to access it free of charge. For the 2008 ALS series, the AAM hosted lectures in February, March, July, and August. Bringing world-renowned architects to Aspen to present slide- illustrated talks on the role of public architecture in society, and discuss how architectural form and style relate to both our natural and engineered landscapes. ALS lectures are free and open to the general public. The 2008 guest architects included Nader Tehrani, Dan Wood & Amale Andraos, Brad Cloepfil and Chris McVoy. Aspen Music Festival and School The AAM began its collaboration with the AMFS with "Color the music," an in- school program that offers live musical performances to arts classes and other visual arts-related projects. Aspen Music Festival and School student composers and musicians have also collaborated with the AAM for a performance of original compositions during the opening reception for Avner Ben-Gal's Sudden Povertyexhibition in August 2007. AMFS Musicians performed student-composed works inspired by specific paintings within the exhibition itself. Aspen Skiing Company As part of the Aspen Art Museum's ongoing commitment to bring contemporary art to the community in innovative and unexpected ways, the AAM and The Aspen Skiing Company (SkiCo) collaborate to select unique artist images for all SkiCo day lift ticket products. The collaboration began in the 2005/2006 season with Yutaka Sone's Ski Madonna image, and also included Sone's large-scale dice toss down the Buttermilk half-pipe in February as part of the artist's AAM X-Art Show. For 2006/2007 Peter Doig's Study for Olin Mark /Vwas chosen, and in 2007/2008 Karen Kilimnik's Gelsey Stuck on the Matterhorn adorned the day ticket. Beyond the aesthetic and recreational value, the tickets entitled museum visitors to receive a 50% discount on AAM admission. The '08/'09 lift ticket will feature the work of American contemporary artist Jim Hodges, whose exhibition at the AAM will open in February 2008. The AAM/SkiCo collaboration also includes the NEPSA Awards, which take place annually at Aspen's historic Wheeler Opera House, and offer athletes, filmmakers and artists from around the country the opportunity to showcase their talents using music, video, photography, and other artistic mediums, and the annual "Create-Your-Own-Lift-Ticket" event, in which participants of all ages create their own lift ticket template at either Buttermilk, or the Snowmass Treehouse Kids' Adventure Center. Each participant's artistically rendered ski ticket can then be redeemed for a free gift at the AAM bookstore. Aspen Writer's Foundation The AAM has partnered with the AWF for a number of projects, beginning with the "Night of Young Poets"-an evening poetry reading accompanying works in Simon Evans' '05/06 exhibition How toget about; and, the annual collaborative summer class "Picture Your Words," which features a combination of creative writing and book-related artistic projects inspired by current AAM exhibitions. Aspen Young Professional Association The AAM collaborates with the Aspen Young Professional Association (AYPA) with an especially close tie with Aspen Art Museum membership group the AAMContemporaries. Many members of both the AYPA and the AAMContemporaries share similar goals, and both groups seek to enhance the quality of life of Aspen's growing number of young professionals by providing educational, social, and networking opportunities to their individual members. Examples of how the AAM and AYPA work together to accomplish this include providing access to group discussions with AAM visiting international artists; in-depth previews of upcoming museum exhibitions with AAM Director and Chief Curator Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson; and, private art collection tours with important Aspen-area art patrons and collectors. This partnership provides very special occasions to share Aspen's vibrant art scene with culturally engaged young locals, and expose them to opportunities very often solely associated with those in larger cities. The Buddy Program The AAM has partnered with the Buddy Program as one of the Buddy Program activity hosts. The AAM has given tours and led activities for groups of Buddy Program pairs during the 2006 Yutaka Sone: X-Art Showand 2007 Amy Adler: Make-Be/ieve exhibitions. Future collaborations with the Buddy Program are currently being planned. City of Aspen, Community Development Department The AAM also partners with the City of Aspen Community Development Department as part of the AAM Architecture Lecture Series (ALS), which brings world-renowned architects to Aspen to present slide-illustrated talks on the role of public architecture in society, and how architectural form and style inform and relate to specific community needs and institutional goals. Colorado Mountain College The AAM is proud to have fostered a collaboration with Colorado Mountain College to offer summer children's workshops at their Aspen Campus. A total of nine workshops with over 85 participating children were hosted at CMC during the 2008 summer, with class offerings spanning the spectrum from "Music & Mediums" to "Fashion & Fabric Art." GrassRoots Television The AAM is proud to partner with local non-profit Aspen community broadcasters GrassRoots TV Channel 12 for "ART MATTERS!," the Aspen Art Museum's look at contemporary art throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and around the globe. Hosted by AAM Director and Chief Curator Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, "ART MATTERS!" features conversations with locally and internationally recognized artists, patrons, curators and gallerists, and features AAM Art Trip video content and exclusive collection tours. "ART MATTERS!" airs five times per week, with new shows airing approximately every two weeks. ART MATTERS! was voted "Best Non-Profit Show" by GrassRoots viewers in 2006. Pitkin County Jail Beginning in 2007, the AAM began a new educational public outreach partnership with the Pitkin County Jail which engages interested guests with both hands-on creative projects and access to a visual arts-centered dialogue. Of the impetus for the program, AAM Director and Chief Curator Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson comments: "A key focus of the AAM is presenting art in unexpected places. Our belief in the role of contemporary art as a vital and positive component of life cannot be overstated. We know that 'Art Saves Lives.' By providing access to both the tools for exploring the creative process and the chance to dialogue about art, we can foster the most important aspect of building good communities-communication. Through the chance to experience art we become better citizens, both locally and globally." Pitkin County Library Beginning in summer 2008, the AAM partnered with the Pitkin County Library to create a visual art-based literacy program. During four Wednesdays in July, the Aspen Art Museum provided all art materials and created a series of art activities that related to a story read aloud by a Pitkin County librarian. An average of 75 pre-school aged children attended each week. The pilot program was successful and will be continued next summer. Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day 2007 Beginning on September 29, 2007, the Aspen Art Museum participated in "Museum Day," presented by Smithsonian magazine. Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.comuisitors. Celebrating culture, learning and knowledge, Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution's Washington, DC-based facilities. The museum is again scheduled to participate in Museum Day again in 2008. The AAM Launches Scholarship Program Beginning in 2008, the Aspen Art Museum awarded two annual $5,000 scholarships to two high school seniors to study art. The Aspen Art Museum Scholarship is awarded to two successful college-bound nominees continuing on in the fine arts who also demonstrate financial need. The AAM works with Roaring Fork Valley high school art teachers to identify the best candidates, with one selected from Aspen High School itself, and one from the larger Roaring Fork Valley area.