Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies

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Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies Join us for exhibitions, education, tours, and engagement. Free admission to all.

The Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies is a museum and exhibition space in Aspen, CO, dedicated to preserving the art and legacy of Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer.

Elevate your next team-building event with an immersive experience at Bayer Center! Our guided exhibition and campus tou...
10/25/2026

Elevate your next team-building event with an immersive experience at Bayer Center!

Our guided exhibition and campus tours offer groups a unique opportunity to recharge, learn together, and foster creative thinking outside the office. Every tour is tailored specifically to your team's size, timing, and objectives.

Message us today to learn more and customize your group's experience!

: 105 years ago this month, a young Herbert Bayer walked 150 miles across Germany to enroll at the legendary Bauhaus in...
10/23/2026

: 105 years ago this month, a young Herbert Bayer walked 150 miles across Germany to enroll at the legendary Bauhaus in Weimar. Diagram of the Bauhaus curriculum as developed by Walter Gropius, 1922.
Founder Walter Gropius took one look at Bayer’s natural talent and prior experience and admitted him on the spot. While his peers were required to complete the full introductory course under Paul Klee and Johannes Itten, Bayer was given special permission to audit it.

A new addition to the Bayer Center Archive: "Katsura: Tradition and Creation of Japanese Architecture."Designed by Herbe...
10/22/2026

A new addition to the Bayer Center Archive: "Katsura: Tradition and Creation of Japanese Architecture."

Designed by Herbert Bayer in 1960, this book is considered by historians to be the most significant photographic publication on the relationship between modernity and tradition in postwar Japan.

This landmark publication features 135 black-and-white photographs by Yasuhiro Ishimoto paired with essays by architects Walter Gropius and Kenzō Tange, making it a masterwork of postwar design and perspective.

A rare first edition that has been out of print since the mid-1960's, is now housed in the Bayer Center archives, thanks to Aspen resident Marybelle “Merbie” Payne.

Swipe to see Merbie holding this rare treasure and a peek inside at Bayer’s layout design.

Link in comments to read the full story on our blog.

"The harvest moon through autumn-mist flames like a blood orange. The immaculate blue of the summer zenith is the gauze ...
10/19/2026

"The harvest moon through autumn-mist flames like a blood orange. The immaculate blue of the summer zenith is the gauze of scattered light from unclouded air above us, seen against the intense black of cosmic space..."

Written in a 1949 notebook by Herbert Bayer, these words reflect a lifelong fascination with the cosmos. While celestial bodies constantly inspired his work, none captured his imagination quite like the moon. Across several distinct series, Bayer transformed lunar forms into vibrant, abstract geometric compositions. Driven by a blend of artistic curiosity, scientific wonder, and cosmic contemplation, he returned to the motif repeatedly to explore humanity’s place in the universe.

Currently on view now in the Bayer Center.

🖼: Herbert Bayer, "Moon Bridge," 1974, acrylic on canvas. Collection of the Aspen Institute. Gift of Barry A. Berkus.

FactFriday: In March 1921, a young Bayer left Linz, Austria, seeking bigger artistic horizons. He landed in Darmstadt, G...
10/16/2026

FactFriday: In March 1921, a young Bayer left Linz, Austria, seeking bigger artistic horizons. He landed in Darmstadt, Germany, bunking with his uncle and scoring a spot in the studio of Austrian architect Emanuel Josef Margold—a key figure in the Darmstadt Artists' Colony. During his brief apprenticeship, Bayer dove headfirst into commercial art, crafting Decorative cookie tins, custom fabric samples, print advertisements, and elaborate storefront window displays.

Image of the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt (Artist Colony) taken sometime before 1918.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.

10/14/2026

Just in: Volta Mobiles 🌀

Handcrafted kinetic sculptures that bring movement, balance, and quiet modern elegance into any space. Made with delicate aluminum blades set atop fine steel stems and a sturdy base, each piece gently catches the air to create a subtle, calming display.

Packaged in a signature gold-embossed box, they make an unforgettable gift—or a thoughtful design piece for your own home.

Now available at The Bayer Center Store in 3 distinct styles, starting at $220.

Earlier this week, we were thrilled to host a group from the Harvard Graduate School of Design at the Bayer Center! The ...
10/12/2026

Earlier this week, we were thrilled to host a group from the Harvard Graduate School of Design at the Bayer Center!

The students immersed themselves in Herbert Bayer’s pioneering landscape architecture and design principles during an in-depth tour of our exhibition and a guided walk across our historic campus.

Did you know our free educational programming runs year-round and extends far beyond K–12?

From university courses and graduate cohorts to adult learners, we offer tailored, immersive learning experiences focused on art, design, history, and landscape architecture in every season.

Are you an educator or professor interested in bringing your class to the Bayer Center? We’d love to host you! Please message us directly to connect with our Educational Programming Manager, Andrew Travers, and explore our custom educational options.

: Before joining the legendary Bauhaus, a young Herbert Bayer heard wild rumors about its entrance exam. In his 1967 mo...
10/09/2026

: Before joining the legendary Bauhaus, a young Herbert Bayer heard wild rumors about its entrance exam. In his 1967 monograph, he recalled hearing that applicants were locked in a pitch-black room while thunder and lightning raged, with admission depending on how well they could paint the sheer panic of the experience! The reality was less dramatic and far more revolutionary. Founded in Weimar in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus aimed to completely reimagine the material world by unifying fine art and design. Instead of mythic initiation rites, every student started with a foundational course studying materials, color theory, and form before moving into specialized workshops. The Bauhaus existed in three different locations across Germany. It was forced to close in 1933 due to pressure from the N***s.

Image of Herbert Bayer from 1921. Photo Courtesy of the Herbert Bayer Papers, Denver Public Library.

“Sometimes I force myself to stay with one motif, to continue and stay with it, and I try to do variations... [until] I ...
10/07/2026

“Sometimes I force myself to stay with one motif, to continue and stay with it, and I try to do variations... [until] I can't continue anymore.” — Herbert Bayer, 1981

Swipe to see Bayer’s philosophy in action ➡️

🖼️ In this corner of our "Double Take" exhibition, three distinct works reveal how Herbert Bayer continuously repurposed his own motifs and techniques across different mediums and decades:

"Cloud Picture" (1928): A gouache and watercolor work exploring the organic cloud forms that became one of his most frequent signature motifs.

"Skyscraper" (1937): A low-angle photograph of Rockefeller Center’s RCA Building in midtown Manhattan, taken during Bayer’s first visit to the United States.

"Cover for Harper’s Bazaar" (1943): An unpublished cover design for the fashion magazine where Bayer brought it all together—fusing the RCA Building photograph, his cloud imagery, and a signature photomontage cutout technique that flattens space.

Visit the Bayer Center to trace the evolution of these motifs in person.

: In 1921, a 21-year-old Herbert Bayer walked from Darmstadt to Weimar, Germany (approximately 150 miles) carrying ever...
10/02/2026

: In 1921, a 21-year-old Herbert Bayer walked from Darmstadt to Weimar, Germany (approximately 150 miles) carrying everything he owned: a portfolio packed with typographic studies, architectural sketches, and landscape paintings.

Even though the academic semester was already underway, Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius took one look at Bayer's portfolio and admitted him on the spot.

📷 Image: Herbert Bayer, "Puchenau," 1919, watercolor and graphite on paper. Collection of Denver Art Museum

Address

610 Gillespie Avenue
Aspen, CO
81611

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+19705447899

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