Denver Art Museum

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning The new Denver Art Museum (DAM), supported by Denver voters through a $62.5 million bond issue in 1999, will open in 2006. The museum expects a substantial increase in the number of visitors to the new facility, including many first-time visitors, and is planning to serve an expanded museum community while preserving its collections. As part of this planning, the museum is developing pioneering interpretive strategies for adult visitors. Four innovative interpretive approaches (connecting with artists, engaging visitor response, examining works through multiple voices, and expressing personal creativity) will accompany the installation of three collections in the new building: Modern and Contemporary Art, Institute of Western Art, and African Art. The building will be a compelling architectural and cultural destination for visitors throughout the Rocky Mountain region and the nation, with innovative exhibitions and educational programming planned to match its inventive design. This grant will support a three-year project to develop interpretive elements that help visitors make human connections with the art by learning about the artists, express and share their responses to the art, access multiple voices and perspectives about individual works of art, and tap into their own creativity.