Vail Hosts First Film Screening at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

Aspen —The air thins as you climb the ridge above Vail, where the alpine tundra gives way to the manicured precision of the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. It’s the highest botanic garden in North America, a place defined by cold winds, rocky outcrops, and a serious commitment to studying plants that survive in harsh conditions. On Monday, Aug. 10, that same garden will pivot from horticulture to cinema for its first-ever film screening.

The event features “Time And Other Materials,” a 60-minute documentary following five accomplished Colorado women artists. Tickets are $10. Seating is limited. You need to act if you want a seat.

Melissa Ebone, vice president of development for the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, called the screening a “natural extension” of the Gardens’ mission to celebrate the connection between Colorado’s landscape and the art it inspires. It’s a tidy narrative. The mountains inspire the art; the art inspires the garden’s visitors. It’s clean. It’s marketable.

The film itself was produced and directed by Amie Knox and Chad Herschberger of A Bar K Productions and Milkhaus Productions. It’s already done the festival circuit. It was an Official Selection at the LA Femme International Film Festival and the Montreal Women Film Festival. It took home a nomination at the New York Independent Art Film Festival. The Denver Post and The Denver Gazette covered it. It’s not a secret project anymore.

The five artists featured aren’t just painting landscapes. They’re digging into the psychology and politics of space. Ana Maria Hernando explores the sacred feminine. Rebecca DiDomenico reimagines natural environments to highlight the need to protect fragile systems. Stacey Steers builds labor-intensive films from thousands of handmade works on paper. Kim Dickey blends psychological space with theatrical artifice. Martha Russo creates sculptures that obscure to awaken the senses.

After the film, director Amie Knox will join the audience for a live discussion. She’ll talk about the making of the documentary and the artists featured in it. It’s the kind of engagement that justifies the $10 ticket price for many locals who want more than just a movie — they want context.

The event is presented with support from the town of Vail’s Art in Public Places program. That’s a specific line item in the town’s budget, one that suggests this isn’t just a random gathering but part of a broader cultural strategy. The town is investing in visibility. The Gardens are investing in education. The result is a single evening where the community learns about conservation through the lens of contemporary art.

The screening runs from 5 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10. Tickets are available now at bettyfordalpinegardens.org. The website for the film is timeandothermaterials.com. If you miss the window, you miss the conversation.

This isn’t just about watching a movie in a garden. It’s about how Vail positions itself as a cultural hub, not just a ski town. It’s about the intersection of high-altitude biology and high-concept art. The cost to the attendee is fixed: $10. The cost to the town’s cultural infrastructure is an investment in public engagement. The return is a community that’s paying attention to the artists shaping its visual identity.

Ebone noted they’re “excited to bring that conversation to life onscreen.” The conversation is about art, yes. But it’s also about who gets to define the aesthetic soul of the Western Slope. The answer, for one evening, is five women and two directors.