“Ski Map Originals,” an exhibit showcasing Niehues’ work, went up at Gallery MAR on Main Street Dec. 19 and runs until Jan. 9.
The artist has seven paintings and five sketches there.
“I am really excited because this is my first gallery exhibition for trail maps, ski maps,” Niehues told KPCW.
During his over 30-year career he painted about 200 resorts, including nearly every ski area in North America. He stepped back from drawing ski areas in 2021, just as artificial intelligence was entering the game.
Niehues even lost a few clients, but he says the ski resorts came back. To him, an artists’ eye and brush can capture the experience of skiing better than any AI.
“If you get a computer-generated map, it looks like something from the office,” he said. “I'm portraying something beautiful, and something to experience. Something that, whenever you get out there, you explore.”
His artistic exploration didn’t stop when he retired from ski maps.
Since 2021, he’s taken up “The American Landscape Project.” He’s producing a collection of 50 iconic American vistas and landmarks, many times taking an aerial perspective.
“What intrigued me were the aerial perspectives,” Niehues said. “And getting the scope of the whole scene and getting as much information as I could about the scene that I'm doing. This is what I do, and have been doing for 35 years, with ski maps.”
He’s been able to branch out artistically but is still paying close attention to details like trails in the landscape. Niehues still paints every tree individually.
The American Landscape Project is ongoing and won’t feature in Gallery MAR’s exhibition.
The gallery is holding a reception for the public to meet Niehues Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be light refreshments and live music.
The first 60 visitors will be able to have their books signed by Niehues. The artist released a book of his ski maps back in 2018.
