Intersect Aspen Art + Design Donates 15 Percent of Net Proceeds to Community Foundation

Tim von Gal sees the Roaring Fork Valley not just as a backdrop for an art fair, but as a community that has sustained it for decades. That perspective is driving a new financial commitment from Intersect Aspen Art + Design, the organization behind the annual art fair. Starting July 28, participating galleries will donate 15 percent of the net proceeds from designated artwork to the Aspen Community Foundation (ACF).

The initiative, dubbed “Art for ACF,” is designed to channel wealth generated by the fair directly back into the region’s nonprofit infrastructure. It’s a move that shifts the conversation from pure aesthetic appreciation to tangible economic impact.

“The program reflects Intersect Aspen’s ongoing commitment to fostering meaningful connections between art and community while supporting organizations that strengthen the region year-round,” the organization stated in its press release.

The Aspen Community Foundation, founded in 1980, operates across both the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. Its mandate is to connect philanthropy with local needs, funding nonprofits that address what the release calls “the region’s most pressing challenges.” For locals, that means the money doesn’t vanish into a distant endowment; it stays within the valley to support the organizations that often fill gaps in social services, education, and cultural programming.

Erica Snow, president and CEO of the Aspen Community Foundation, sees this partnership as a natural evolution of the relationship between the fair and the community it serves.

“Art has the power to bring people together, inspire generosity and strengthen the communities we call home,” Snow said. “We’re grateful to Intersect Aspen Art + Design and its participating galleries for creating an opportunity that connects creativity with philanthropy.”

The financial mechanics are straightforward. Galleries select specific pieces, mark them for the initiative, and surrender 15 percent of the net sale price to ACF. These pieces get prime real estate in the entrance corridor of the fair venue, plus prominent placement on the fair’s website and social media channels. It’s a marketing strategy that rewards generosity with visibility.

The list of participants includes a mix of established local names and heavyweights from coastal art markets. Topher Straus, who maintains studios in Vail and Los Angeles, is listed as a participating artist. So is Whit Boucher of Woody Creek. On the gallery side, heavy hitters like Isham Projects from Malibu, iustitia fine arts from New York, and Markowicz Fine Art from Miami and Laguna Niguel are all on board.

Von Gal, CEO of Intersect Art + Design, frames the donation as a repayment of sorts. He argues that the fair’s success is inextricably linked to the goodwill of the Aspen community.

“The Aspen community has shown unwavering support for Intersect Aspen Art + Design, embracing the fair and helping it become an important part of the region’s cultural landscape,” von Gal said. “The launch of the Art for ACF initiative is our opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to us.”

He’s looking at the broader geography of the valley, not just the town of Aspen. Von Gal wants the funds to help advance ACF’s work “from Aspen to Parachute.” That’s a significant stretch of territory, covering everything from the high country down to the lower valley. It suggests the donors aren’t just thinking about downtown Aspen’s elite; they’re thinking about the entire corridor.

The initiative will be highlighted during ACF’s Connect Event on July 23, a week before the fair kicks off. That timing ensures the donation model is front and center when collectors are making their purchases.

It’s a clean, simple structure: buy art, give back. But in a town where art prices can easily climb into the six figures, 15 percent is no small change. It’s a direct transfer of wealth from the art market to the nonprofit sector, facilitated by an event that has become a staple of the local cultural calendar.

Von Gal believes this model creates a lasting impact. By partnering with ACF, he says they are “creating another meaningful way for art to make a lasting impact.”

For now, the focus is on execution. The participating galleries are set. The artwork is designated. The only variable left is how much the market will bear. But the intent is clear: this year, the art isn’t just for looking at. It’s for giving back.