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Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty Scholarship winner and Steamboat local Mary Amaolo Lanata opens her mind—and her eye—at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York City.

When Mary Amaolo Lanata moved to Steamboat Springs from Buenos Aires in 2013, she never expected she’d land a scholarship to the prestigious Sotheby’s Institute of Art for a two-week course in the Business of Art.

That’s exactly what happened when Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty sponsored Mary to attend the course “How the Art World Works” in New York City this past July. Mary, 33, originally came to Steamboat with her then-boyfriend Rugge (the two have since married) because he wanted to study ski industry business at Colorado Mountain College. In just three years, Mary forged a path of her own in art, earning her Associates in Art at CMC and then working at the Wildhorse Gallery and volunteering at the Steamboat Art Museum. It was both her drive and dedication to the Steamboat community that made her a perfect candidate for the scholarship.

Ultimately, the goal for the winner of the scholarship was to bring the knowledge that she gleaned during her time in New York back to the Steamboat community. We talked with Mary before she left and caught up with her again after she returned, to hear all about her experience in New York and her plans for helping Steamboat build on its participation in the arts and strengthen its candidacy to become one of Colorado’s Certified Creative Arts Districts.

Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty: Tell us about your experience at the Sotheby’s Institute.
Mary Amaolo Lanata: How the art world works was covered on such a deep level, in regard to every aspect of the business. We had really important people from the art scene in New York giving us different lectures clarifying how the art world really works. It was a 2-week course, three hours every day. What really stood out for me is how art isn’t just about the artists, the galleries, and the museums, but how culture and the community becomes part of the art.

SSIR: What was the most eye-opening part of the course for you?
MAL: Art was everywhere in New York—just walking around the city I’d encounter all kinds of artists from graffiti artists and street artists to large scare art installations—it was like you couldn’t separate the city from its art. The idea that art can be for everyone was really eye opening. I learned that art doesn’t have to be untouchable, like it is in museums and galleries. It can be for everyone.

SSIR: What do you plan to do with what you’ve learned to help the Steamboat art community?
MAL: I think there is a real need to make the arts more visible to the Steamboat community. If we bring it outside of galleries and museums, and share it more publically, more people will get engaged. It will also help more people to participate in our bid to become a Colorado Creative Arts District.

SSIR: What’s your vision for a public art installation in Steamboat?
MAL: I want to create a public art installation like the Cow Parade or Piano Art in Denver—create 50-100 sculptures of something that represents Steamboat, like a horse, or cowboy, and have different people from all across the community use diverse mediums and concepts to create their own and display them all over town. It would be representative of our cultural identity and our heritage and engage the whole community to participate.

SSIR: Tell us about how this ties into Steamboat’s bid to become certified as a Colorado Creative Arts District.
MAL: Just before I left for New York, Steamboat submitted an application to become a Creative Arts District but didn’t get it. The idea behind the Creative Arts District is that the town can produce art that will be good for everyone, and not just for the art itself. That it will draw more people, and more business, even to non-art businesses. I think Steamboat has proven this is possible with the success of our First Fridays Art Walk program. The first Friday of every month, all the businesses downtown participate in a mini-arts festival. It’s not just the galleries, but restaurants, retail stores and other business who support the arts. That’s proof to me that the community in general wants to participate; there is an intention of cultural activity.

SSIR: So what are the next steps?
MAL: I’ve written a proposal and plan to work with the Creative Arts District Committee to refine the idea for a public art installation and decide what shape it would take. I also plan to reach out to a lot of the well-respected artists in town to encourage them to get involved. The goal of sending me to the Sotheby’s Institute of Art was not only for my own personal education and enrichment, but also to come up with a unifying idea to make art more visible in Steamboat and let everyone be a part of it, and at the same time, help Steamboat’s effort to become a Colorado Creative Arts District.

SSIR: How has this experience changed you?
MAL: It was the first time in my life I was ever in New York City, and that was such an amazing experience for me. I was deeply honored to meet so many amazing people from the art world and learn so much about how the art world works. It was so eye opening. I am so grateful to Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty for the opportunity and I feel really blessed that I got to do this. I am committed to giving back to Steamboat, using what I learned in New York, and helping to bring the Steamboat community together through art.

Sotheby's Institute of Art

Sotheby’s Institute of Art

IMG_2664 IMG_2134Sotheby's Institute of Art


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