Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is a major art museum in Denver, Colorado, with a broad collection covering Native American, Western American, Asian, Modern, and contemporary art. The institution traces its origins to the late 19th century and now holds a collection numbering in the tens of thousands of objects.

The museum is noted both for its collection and its architecture. It operates two principal buildings: the North Building by Gio Ponti, opened in 1971, and the Frederic C. Hamilton Building by Daniel Libeskind, opened in 2006, which contains large temporary-exhibition galleries and visitor facilities. The museum’s Native American art holdings are among its most significant single-area strengths.

Founded from a civic artists’ organisation in the late 19th century, the institution grew through 20th-century expansions and the addition of the Libeskind building in the 2000s to become the regional flagship museum it is today.

The museum sits on the western edge of Denver’s Civic Center cultural district, close to downtown Denver and other civic institutions.

• Collection strengths: Collection holdings number in the tens of thousands and include one of the largest museum collections of Native American art in the United States.
• Architecture: The museum occupies two architecturally distinct buildings from 1971 and 2006, which are themselves a major reason many visitors come.

What to See #

• North Building (Gio Ponti): The North Building, designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and opened in 1971, houses galleries and long-term displays in a distinctive modernist block.
• Frederic C. Hamilton Building (Daniel Libeskind): The Frederic C. Hamilton Building, designed by Daniel Libeskind and opened in 2006, contains major temporary-exhibition galleries and public circulation spaces with an angular contemporary exterior.