When Shepard Fairey picks up his brush this week at Local's Corner in Aspen, he won't just be creating another mural—he'll be adding to a legacy that spans continents and connects one small mountain town to a global movement in contemporary public art.
Local's Corner: Where Community Meets Art
Local's Corner, home to Aspen's Exxon station, has long been a community gathering spot—quite literally where locals fuel up for mountain adventures and grab their morning coffee. Known colloquially as "Locals Corner," this intersection at 435 E. Main Street has served residents and visitors alike for decades.
But this corner represents more than convenience—it embodies the democratic spirit of public art. This highly visible location ensures that Fairey's second Aspen mural will be experienced by the entire community: school kids walking to class, workers starting their day, tourists exploring downtown, and longtime residents who remember when Aspen was more mining town than luxury destination.
A Global Canvas: Fairey's Mural Legacy
Shepard Fairey's influence extends far beyond his iconic 2008 Barack Obama "Hope" poster. For more than a decade, the politically charged artist and designer's murals have found enduring homes all over the globe, from Paris to Providence, creating what art critics call "artivism"—the intersection of activism and art.
The critical response to his work reflects its cultural impact. When New Yorker art critic Peter Schjeldahl called Fairey's Obama poster "the most efficacious American political illustration since 'Uncle Sam Wants You'," he wasn't just praising a campaign image—he was recognizing art that transcended politics to become cultural history.
Fairey has collaborated with fellow street art pioneers like Banksy, with whom he's created warehouse exhibitions and maintains a friendship built on mutual respect within the street art community. Together, they've worked to elevate public art from the margins to museum walls, proving that street art can be both rebellious and culturally significant.
His global reach continues to expand. His 2014 towering mural in Johannesburg, South Africa, pays tribute to Nelson Mandela and the 25th anniversary of the Purple Rain Protest, overlooking the Nelson Mandela Bridge. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his three-story, 7,400 square-foot "Voting Rights Are Human Rights" mural went up in October 2020, featuring a Black man at a 1960s protest looking to the sky.
Aspen's Artistic Foundation
What makes Fairey's return to Aspen particularly significant is how it builds upon the town's established commitment to public art. Aspen is home to a rich history and a thriving arts community, with numerous galleries, studios, and public art installations that reflect a diverse range of artistic expressions.
The town's public art legacy includes pioneering work by Herbert Bayer, the Bauhaus artist who lived in Aspen for nearly 30 years. Bayer created environmental sculptures and earthworks throughout the Aspen Institute campus, including the "Grass Mound," considered to be the first modern earthwork, and the "Marble Garden," built from pieces of marble reclaimed from the Marble, Colorado quarry. Like Fairey, Bayer understood how art in public spaces could transform not just physical locations but entire communities' relationships with creativity and place.
The Investment in Culture
Public art isn't just about aesthetics—it's about cultural investment that pays dividends for generations. While most street art is ephemeral, the impact extends far beyond the physical artwork.
When Fairey painted his first Aspen mural in 2018, it wasn't just street art—it was a declaration that this mountain town could be a serious destination for contemporary culture. As he recalled of that unveiling, the celebration created "a parade-like procession that ranged from kids on skateboards to senior citizens—it was an eclectic coalition in the best way."
Connecting to the Movement
This week's mural creation offers something rare: the opportunity to witness artistic history in real time. But for those inspired by the process, Fairey's "One Earth" series—the studio works that conceptually inform this public piece—represents a chance to own part of this cultural moment.
As Fairey explains, "Art is not always meant to be decorative or soothing, in fact, it can create uncomfortable conversations and stimulate uncomfortable emotions". His works challenge viewers to think beyond decoration toward deeper engagement with contemporary issues of unity, environmental responsibility, and shared humanity.
For collectors, acquiring pieces from the "One Earth" series means joining a conversation that extends from this Aspen corner to galleries and public spaces worldwide. It means supporting an artist whose works are in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
As Aspen watches its second Shepard Fairey mural take shape this week, residents and visitors alike are witnessing more than paint on brick. They're seeing how art transforms place, how public creativity builds community identity, and how one corner of one small town connects to a global movement that believes art has the power to change the world—one wall at a time.
For more information about Shepard Fairey's "One Earth" exhibition and available works, contact us.
