James Niehues on Map Making, Art, and Retirement

October 20, 2021

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A man with gray hair and glasses wearing a green plaid shirt is painting a detailed landscape of snowy mountains and forested trails. He is seated, holding a brush, with the artwork prominently displayed in front of him.

By Matt Hoisch

James Niehues has painted over 300 ski resort trail maps. Image courtesy of James Niehues.

Who is the artist whose work you’ve seen the most? If you’re a skier or a snowboarder, there’s a good chance it might be James Niehues. Over the last 30 plus years, he’s painted over 300 resort trail maps—including Telluride. In 2019, he was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. Recently Niehues announced his retirement from trail map making. KOTO’s Matt Hoisch spoke to him about his career and life in art.

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