Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Art of America: Iconic Works Defining and Shaping the United States
Artists reflect on the works that have defined, challenged, and reimagined the American experience.
America’s Story Through Art
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Aspen Institute Arts Program invites leading artists to reflect on the works that have defined and challenged the American story.
Art of America is a digital storytelling series from the Aspen Institute Arts Program that explores the American idea through the transformative power of creativity. Through candid interviews with leading figures like Ken Burns, Renée Fleming, Hank Willis Thomas, Janet Echelman, and Teddy Abrams—alongside other voices from the Harman-Eisner Artist in Residence and Aspen Global Leadership community—the series examines the iconic works across music, performance, and visual art that reflect each artist’s vision about America’s past, present, and future. By highlighting artists as visionaries who illuminate our past and spark our collective imagination, Art of America offers a fresh lens on the cultural forces shaping our nation’s identity, values, and future.
Art helps us understand who we are and where we are headed. By examining the power of creativity to inspire reflection and change, this project underscores the role of artists as visionaries who illuminate America’s past while helping us imagine its future.
FEATURED Conversation
Ken Burns on John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence
Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns reflects on John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence and how the iconic painting has shaped the way Americans visualize the nation’s founding.
The Arts Program at the Aspen Institute champions the role of artists and cultural leaders as essential voices in shaping a free, just, and equitable society. Through residencies, public dialogues, and creative collaborations, the program integrates artistic perspective into the Aspen Institute’s work on democracy, leadership, and social impact.
