Meet James Niehues | Ski Map Artist/Cartographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Niehues and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what do you attribute your success to?
At the age of 40 I began a new career…ski map art. There were many factors that came into play for my 35 year run producing maps for ski resorts around the world. Timing, work ethic, conceptual ability, artistic rendering and just plain luck. Timing: When I looked up Bill Brown, the previous ski map artist, he was interested in moving in a different direction and delighted that I would carry on the traditional look. Within months, he was contacted by a new ski magazine to produce full page spreads, he directed them to me and I painted this monthly spread in Snow Country Magazine for the next 10 years.
Work ethic: I spent long hours not only painting but traveling, shooting aerial photography, client contact and promoting,
Conceptual ability: I love a puzzle and turning slopes credibly, then connecting the runs naturally was just a natural for me.
Artistic rendering: As Hal Shelton and Bill Brown before me I loved landscapes and wanted to show the mountain as more than a map, a piece of art.
Luck: I moved to Denver which connected me with Bill, which then connected me with Snow Country…and many other events I have to rack up as luck.
My wife Dora was a huge factor in my success, she took care of the office, books and promotional mailings.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The ski map is first, a guide down the mountain, but also, a representation of the experience. My slogan early on was “A quality trail map represents a quality ski experience”. At the time I was referring to the accuracy of the trail system as well as the visual rendition. Through the years I have realized that expressing the experience is the most influential aspect of the process. The ski map is a visual impression which holds a great deal of information…a “finger print” of the resort’s recreational potential. If done well, the map remains in use for decades. My biggest concern was making a living in such a small market. Since Hal Shelton and Bill Brown produced great maps those resorts would not likely be looking to replace them. The summers were usually busy but the winters were very slow, so I sent out mailing to visitors bureaus for regional views to help fill in the void. As my reputation increased my problem became production and burn out through certain months and, yes, having enough business in other months. As luck would have it, I would turn down only a few jobs due to time and still manage to fullfill all aspects of the projects personally. I have retired from ski maps and now working on the Great American Landscape” project which is a series of sketches of iconic landscapes across America. At 76 I don’t have enough time to paint them so I have taken up the pencil to put together at least 50 of the most dynamic scenes in America. I am at 45 now and the list has grown to over 75

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Denver has outstanding outdoor recreation and sights for a day’s drive. Clear Creek Canyon’s path is great for a walk along Clear Creek. The Poudre Canyon is a dynamic drive up to Cameron Pass. Drive I-70 to the Continental Divide on Loveland Pass. Visit Rocky Mountain National Park or drive from Nederland to Estes Park on the Peak to Peak highway. Drive to the summit of Mt Evans at 14,264 feet for breathtaking views. Enjoy Denver’s incredible day trips and visit the Denver Art Museum

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Wife Dora was and is instrumental to my past and present success. I relied on her business decisions and office ability…and she even helped me out when I was stuck with a decision regarding the composition or rendering of the maps. Dennis Lowery hired me as a graphic designer during my Junior year at Mesa College, where I worked on my first map, a hunting map for western Colorado…and I was hooked.
Jim Cowden, who took me on as a partner in Cowden/Niehues Advertising. I learned the importance of our position in client relations and the business.
Bill Brown, my mentor aided me with rendering techniques and client contacts.
John Fry, the Editor of Snow Country Magazine for taking a chance with the unproven me at the very start of my career.

Website: jamesniehues.com