Keith Mayerson returns to his home state for his first major Colorado exhibition, "My American Dream (Rocky Mountain High)," at the Aspen Art Museum. The show features works from his long-running "My American Dream" series, a project consisting of over 140 oil paintings that blend cultural icons, personal history, and landscapes into nonlinear narratives. This specific iteration draws heavily on Mayerson's childhood memories of Aspen as a bohemian utopia and incorporates imagery ranging from vintage ski passes to civil rights heroes.
The exhibition marks a significant homecoming for an artist whose work is held in prestigious collections like the Whitney Museum of American Art. By exploring the "American Dream" through a queer, pluralistic lens, Mayerson challenges traditional national mythologies while maintaining a sense of optimism. The show highlights the influence of "the Aspen Idea"—a mid-century philosophy of holistic intellectual and physical well-being—on his artistic development and his reaction to pivotal national events like 9/11.