“NBS Style Through the Decades” – A New Guest Curated Exhibit Celebrating the Fashion & History of the National Brotherhood of Skiers

Artist Lamont Joseph White was invited to help the Colorado Snowsports Museum revamp their 100 Years of Ski Fashion exhibition through the lens of the fashion and history of the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS), as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary Black Ski Summit in Vail, Colorado this winter.

Photo credit: Town of Vail - Art in Public Places. Photo shows Lamont next to “Towering” at the CSM - now on display. Do you see the iconic Vail clocktower in the background?

The Colorado Snowsports Museum is excited to collaborate with Lamont Joseph White, the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, and all NBS members who contributed to putting this collection together for our latest rotating exhibition “NBS Style Through the Decades.” Here, Lamont and members of the NBS sourced two outfitted mannequins showing clothing from the 1980s/1990s that was worn by members of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, a nonprofit group that represents Black skiers, riders, and snow sport enthusiasts across the nation. The NBS is comprised of dozens of clubs in the United States – including the Slippers-N-Sliders Ski Club of Denver, Ski Noir 5280, BIPOC Mountain Collective, and the Ski Ambassadors of Colorado Springs.

One outfit to note was worn and sourced by Henri Rivers, the current President of the NBS.

In addition to the clothing, the Town of Vail - Art in Public Places commissioned an original oil painting Towering for their collection. This original Lamont Joseph White piece is temporarily on view this snow sports season as part of this exhibition at the Colorado Snowsports Museum.

“The Town of Vail is thrilled to include this commissioned oil painting by Lamont Joseph White in the permanent public art collection for all to enjoy.” explains Molly Eppard – Art in Public Places Coordinator.

Molly goes on to say: “Towering is a clever montage capturing Vail’s iconic clock tower, the majestic Gore Range, the array of beloved slopes on Vail Mountain, all while celebrating the diversity of the National Brotherhood’s 50th Anniversary Summit. Lamont’s artistic talents truly shine in this creative composition! Many thanks to the Colorado Snowsports Museum for displaying the work this season.”

Learn more about Lamont Joseph White HERE.

Lamont also assisted with the design of various other components of the exhibit that show NBS fashion over the decades through photos and art as well as a historical timeline that speaks to the history of the NBS from the 1970s to today. At a time when African Americans on the slopes were a rarity and Black ski clubs were an exception, the founders Ben Finley and Art Clay met in 1972 and were not deterred from their vision to create a national Black Summit for skiers. One year later, the historic first Black Ski Summit gathering took place in Aspen, Colorado in 1973 and was attended by over 350 skiers from all over the country. The overall sense of camaraderie and connection that pervaded the event then still holds true today.

Alongside the timeline, Lamont also put together a new work: “Slope Sistas.” A print version of this art will be available for purchase at the Colorado Snowsports Museum Gift Shop.

This photo shows the Slippers-N-Sliders ski club of Denver circa the 1970s. See this photo and others in the newly updated exhibition.

While you’re in town for the Black Ski Summit or at any point this winter, stop by and check out the new exhibit. We’re open daily from 11am to 6pm.

The 50th annual Black Ski Summit will take place February 4-11 in Vail, Colorado. For more information visit, https://www.nbs.org/. This is not the first time the Summit has been in Vail. In 1993, which was one of the largest summits the NBS organized, about 6,000 participants met here. As Vail celebrates its 60th anniversary season, we’re thrilled to welcome the NBS for their milestone anniversary as well!

Thank you to the NBS for decades of bringing together and empowering thousands of Black snow sport enthusiasts across the country. This groundbreaking organization continues to promote positive change in the outdoor industry and change perspectives about who belongs on the slopes.