More than 200,000 children and youth visited the Denver Art Museum in 2017 — a 51 percent increase in youth visits to the museum over the previous year.
The spike in youth visits can be attributed to a partnership between Bellco Credit Union and the DAM in support of the museum’s Free for Kids program, which launched in March 2015 with a five-year gift from museum trustee Scott Reiman. The program offers free general admission to all visitors ages 18 and younger.
Bellco became a presenting sponsor of Free for Kids in 2016, bringing additional support to the program, including enhanced learning and engagement opportunities and materials for youth visitors, as well as funding for outreach to underserved communities. The program also offers free general admission for school tours and other youth group visits, such as summer camps and community-based youth programs.
“Thanks to Bellco’s financial support, the Free for Kids program has provided thousands of kids and teens with access to the arts,” says Christoph Heinrich, the Frederick and Dan Mayer Director of the DAM. “Bellco’s commitment to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts is truly inspiring. It is because of this commitment that we were proud to nominate Bellco for a 2018 Business for the Arts Award through the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
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Margaret is a veteran Denver real estate reporter and can be contacted
here.