People ski to enjoy the beauty of the mountains, the fresh air, and being outdoors in the natural world. At some ski areas, artists have intensified those mountain experiences through their work. Nature becomes an art gallery.

At Powder Mountain an enormous bird's nest stands alone in a meadow of snow /photo: Harriet Wallis

A life size bronze elk bugles slopeside at Deer Valley /photo: Harriet Wallis

Mother Nature is an artist at Alta with this oversized sculpture. The enormous rock is like a sentry standing guard and it dwarfs skiers who pass by / photo: Harriet Wallis

The Full Moon and Moose mural covers an entire wall in Brighton's locker room. It was painted by Susan Stambor Houghton, a traveling artist / photo: Harriet Wallis