Aspen Art Museum Hosts ArtCrush

The Aspen Art Museum's annual ArtCrush returns from Aug. 1 to 3 with a trio of art and food events that include WineCrush on Wednesday, PreviewCrush at Baldwin Gallery on Thursday, and the ArtCrush gala and auction run by Sotheby's on Friday.

ArtCrush features artists, gallerists, and art collectors from Aspen, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York who gather annually for three days of art and food events. This year's auction includes works by Tom Friedman, Rob Pruitt, and Tom Sachs. Participating galleries include Marianne Boesky Gallery, Gavin Brown's Enterprise, Honor Fraser Gallery, and Baldwin Gallery.

Chef Martin Oswald of Pyramid Bistro and sommelier Jay Fletcher of Southern Wine and Spirits are overseeing the preparation of the food menu and wine pairings for ArtCrush.

WineCrush's food and wine pairings include appetizers, three courses, and dessert paired with high-end wines and champagnes like a 2003 Dom Pérignon and Sandeman, a 40 Year Tawny Porto, Douro, Portugal.

Friday's ArtCrush dinner menu includes a pigs-in-a-blanket duet classic of pork belly with a caraway chip, maple-bacon mac and cheese, and a truffled grilled cheese sandwich with Olathe corn. The first course includes chile-marinated shrimp with mojito vinaigrette and marinated artichoke salad. The second course is Colorado beef tenderloin and lobster duet with old-fashioned bourbon sauce, lobster coral butter, truffled mashed potatoes, and asparagus-Olathe corn medley. The evening concludes with a dessert of Valrhona chocolate fondue with velvet mini cake, espresso cream-filled profiteroles, and fruit.

Lauren Mack is the Travel Editor of The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @lmack.