If you have ever taken pictures with Santa’s giant sleigh at Cherry Creek Mall, posed for a selfie with the larger-than-life topiary reindeer at Denver International Airport, or attended the Holiday Lighting Ceremony at City Hall, you’ve seen the hard work of a Westminster business.
Alpine Artisan Studios, located at 120th Avenue and Huron Street, works year-round with a team of designers, carpenters, welders, and other talented artisans to create large-scale, custom holiday décor for commercial clients all over the world.
Jenni Vanini, president of Alpine Artisan Studios, joined the company in 2006 and purchased the long-standing business once the previous owner retired three years later. Since then, she has seen the business change from focusing on manufacturing décor to creating complete installations that get people in the holiday spirit.
“We were imagining and designing and fabricating and building the decorations here in Denver, and that’s been happening since 1935,” Vanini said. “Manufacturing capabilities set the company apart. We were focused on wreaths, garland, Santa sets, and I wanted to see what else we could create. In 2006 there was a weld shop and paint shop, but now we have foam carving, carpentry, programming, and all of the animation and lighting that goes on. As an organization we are a lot more well-rounded. We’ve taken advantage of adapting with the times and new technologies.”
While much of the work is Christmas-themed, not every project is a set for taking pictures with Santa. The artisans at Alpine have worked in partnership with the Denver Debutante Ball
for 40 years to produce the annual holiday chandelier display at The Brown Palace in downtown Denver. The team has also created a 40-foot-tall penguin covered in lights that puts on a musical show at the Philadelphia Zoo and the world’s largest holiday bow on top of an outlet mall in Los Angeles. Design engineers in L.A. even had to obtain FAA clearance for installing the massive décor piece because the lights were the same type used on airport runways.
Vanini said Westminster provides an ideal location to complete such uniquely large and creative work.
“When you go looking for warehouse space, there is a lot of development along that I-70 corridor that’s more like strip mall warehousing,” she said. “We have a freestanding building. We
do a lot of crazy stuff at crazy hours during the high season, so being able to put up a 40-foot penguin outside of our facility and have it there for three or four days is important to us.”
Vanini also said she takes pride in the talented workforce at Alpine. The company typically operates with 10 to 12 year-round staff and ramps up to about 75 employees each year leading up to the holidays when projects need to be packed, shipped, and assembled on site.
“I consider them all artists. They are artisans,” she said. “Nobody here is just a carpenter, just a welder, just a decorator. Everybody is cross-trained in multiple disciplines so they can step in and help on every project.”
The staff at Alpine also share their knowledge with clients so the intricate displays can be properly installed, maintained, and stored so they last for multiple holiday seasons. For example, when Alpine Studios built the 30-foot Christmas tree for Westminster’s City Hall back in 2016, City staff was invited to the warehouse to practice setting up the tree and taking it down.
Westminster’s holiday display at City Hall is just one of many seasonal favorites created by Alpine in the metro area, and Vanini said her holiday message to all residents is to get out and seek festive experiences.
“Take the time to go out and explore,” Vanini said. “The metro area has so many great things to offer. Take time to stroll, shop local, and enjoy the holidays. What we bring to the holidays you
cannot get online. You have to go experience these places in person.”
The City of Westminster will be hosting several holiday events this season where you can see the work of Alpine Artisan Studios. For a full list of seasonal events, visit www.westminsterco.gov/events.
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