Denver, CO - The Denver Art Museum (DAM) and Bellco Credit Union today announce a major sponsorship of the museum’s Free for Kids program. A supporter of Free for Kids since 2016, Bellco has expanded its investment this year to become the presenting sponsor to continue this important community access program. Launched in 2015, Free for Kids at the DAM supports free general admission to all visitors ages 18 and under, as well as $5 admission to all special ticketed exhibitions. The program extends free general admission to youth group field trips and summer camps, too.

 

“With this generous support from Bellco Credit Union, the Denver Art Museum continues to lower the barriers to museum access and welcome all young people — from preschoolers to teenagers — to explore world cultures and their own creativity at the museum,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “We are thrilled that more than 800,000 kids have attended the museum for free since Free for Kids launched in 2015. Studies show time and again that access to museums and art education experience during childhood build greater quality of life and academic achievement, and a greater sense of empathy and cultural understanding.”

 

“This partnership allows Bellco and the Denver Art Museum to engage families, teens, schools, community groups and youth organizations across Colorado through the museum’s learning and engagement programs that leverage exhibitions and collections to engage youth visitors,” said Bellco Board Chair Steven Angelier.

This summer at the DAM, Free for Kids includes access to the museum’s new and renovated collection galleries in the Martin Building, featuring Indigenous arts of North America, Latin American art, arts of the ancient Americas, arts of Asia, photography, textile arts and fashion and western American art. The soon-to-open galleries in the Hamilton Building, featuring arts of Africa, arts of Oceania and modern and contemporary art will be accessible with Free for Kids. Additionally, Bellco members receive general admission to the DAM on the second full weekend of each month.

 

Exhibitions on view this summer included with Free for Kids are Speaking with Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography and Near East to Far West: Fictions of French and American Colonialism (closing May 22 and May 29, respectively), Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-Johnston Collection and Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion (opening July 9). Free for Kids also includes hands-on gallery activities as well as artmaking in the Bartlit Learning and Engagement Center and the Landscape Studio.

 

Free for Kids is presented by Bellco Credit Union.

 

The most up-to-date information on planning a visit to the Denver Art Museum can be found online under the Plan Your Visit tab. Use this page to find details on ticket pricing, public transit options, and access information. General admission is always free for museum members. Youth aged 18 and under, regardless of residency, receive free general admission every day thanks to the museum’s Free for Kids program. Free for Kids also underwrites free admission for school and youth group visits.

 

The safety of visitors and staff remains a top priority, and the museum is continually updating its COVID-19 safety and security protocols based on advice from the CDC and federal and local guidelines. Current protocols can be found on the Plan Your Visit page on the museum’s website: www.denverartmuseum.org/visit

 

Bellco is one of Colorado’s largest financial institutions, with more than $7 billion in assets and 28 branches in Colorado. Founded in 1936, Bellco offers a full range of financial products and services including home equity loans, auto loans and checking accounts. Today, Bellco has more than 350,000 members who benefit from the advantages of a credit union, including lower interest rates on loans, higher yields on savings and access to thousands of ATMs nationwide. Connect with Bellco on Facebook and Twitter. Bellco is federally insured by NCUA and is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.