HISTORY

The Lab was born in Spring 2003, when Continuum Partners, the City of Lakewood and the Denver Art Museum worked collaboratively to envision how contemporary art could be integrated as a major feature in the Belmar District, a mixed-use residential and commercial, urban neighborhood in Lakewood, Colorado.

Adam Lerner, then the Denver Art Museum’s master teacher of modern and contemporary art, was enlisted to develop the plan, and the vision rapidly expanded under his leadership. A nonprofit organization was formed with a board of trustees representing the museum, the city of Lakewood and the developers of Belmar. An international advisory board representing leading contemporary art scholars, museum directors, curators, and artists helped refine further the concept of The Lab.

In May 2004 The Lab debuted its programming with Mixed Taste: Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics, its wildly popular summer lecture series. On September 16, The Lab threw open the doors to its 12,000 square foot permanent home on Upham Street in Belmar with an all-day celebration.

In keeping with The Lab’s dual role as gallery and community space, the building is a flexible space that allows for a range of visitor experiences, including gallery exhibitions, events and lectures as well as an area for social events to foster dialogue and community interaction.