Iconic Utah Ski Areas Immortalized by Legendary Ski Map Artist James Niehues Released for Public Purchase

November 12, 2021

All proceeds from the “Park City and Cottonwoods” sale go to support the National Ability Center

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Nov. 12, 2021) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Renowned artist James Niehues, who spent his career crafting intimate depictions of more than 200 ski areas across the globe, announces the release of a selection of his original paintings and sketches of Utah’s most popular ski areas. This next collection of original works follows the successful sale of 10 of Niehues’ other original maps, a set of skis from Wagner Custom Skis featuring Niehues’ art, and NFT’s, which raised over $70,000 for the Colorado Snowsports Museum.

On November 18th, 2021 Niehues will release the first of four sets of his original paintings and sketches from Utah, which he has retained in his personal collection for the past 35 years. The initial release comprises artwork from the Alta, Sundance, Utah Olympic Park and other regional ski areas. Ensuing weeks will see releases for Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Deer Valley, Eagle Point, Park City, Solitude, Snowbasin and Snowbird. These original paintings and sketches will be available for purchase on jamesniehues.com for a limited time.

As Niehues wraps up his 30+ year career to focus on other projects, he plans to give back to the communities of skiers, snowboarders and outdoors men and women that have enjoyed his work throughout the years. One special piece, a combined view of Park City and the Cottonwood Canyons, will be sold and all proceeds donated to the National Ability Center. Much like Niehues’ maps, the NAC focuses on making skiing and riding accessible to all, and on average serves over 7,000 unique individuals of all abilities through more than 37,000 experiences.

”As one of the most extensive providers of adaptive recreation and outdoor adventures in the country, we have become intimately familiar with James’ work over the years,” says Danny Glasser, CEO of National Ability Center. “We’re incredibly grateful that James has chosen NAC as his partner for this release of Utah originals, and appreciate his generosity to help us continue providing outdoor experiences to people of all ability levels.” 

“Ben Farrow and I are honored to be partnering with James to help raise funds for the National Ability Center. NAC’s commitment to empowering individuals in outdoor pursuits is beyond admirable, and we’re excited to have this opportunity to help support them,” says Todd Bennett, co-founder of Open Road Ski Company.

For more information on how and when Niehues’ Utah originals will be available, an outline of Niehues’ unique process, and Niehues’ imagery from ski areas across the country, visit jamesniehues.com. Fans can follow his adventures on Instagram (@jamesniehues), Twitter (@jamesniehues) and Facebook (@jamesniehuesorsc).

About James Niehues

For over 30 years, James Niehues’ maps have been integral to the enjoyment of skiers and snowboarders at resorts and mountains across the globe. He has painted nearly every ski resort in North America, plus ski maps on four other continents over the course of his inimitable career.  Each map is hand-crafted over several months, and many are still in use today. His recent book, The Man Behind the Maps – a compilation of the more than 200 individual trail maps he has painted – is loved by skiers and snowboarders around the world. His book was the top selling ski book of 2020 and has over 500 five-star reviews.

About Open Road Ski Company

Open Road Ski Company is an independent outdoor media and publishing company launched in 2018 by two passionate skiers, Ben Farrow and Todd Bennett. Their first Kickstarter project, James Niehues: The Man Behind the Maps, became Kickstarter’s top grossing Art Illustration project of all-time. Last year, they raised over $120,000 for the Stark Mountain Foundation in support of Mad River Glen. This year, they raised over $70,000 to benefit the Colorado Snowsports Museum.

About the National Ability Center

The National Ability Center provides world-class adaptive recreation and outdoor adventures for individuals and families with disabilities, physical, cognitive, and developmental, including competitive athletes, youth, veterans, and more. Rooted in Park City, UT for over 35 years, with additional facilities in Moab, the National Ability Center empowers participants by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through inclusive programming and activities such as alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding, cycling, swimming, rafting, archery, among others. With Vail’s EpicPromise as the National Ability Center’s largest annual community partner, NAC is globally recognized as a leader in adaptive sports. For more information, visit www.discovernac.org.