The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar
The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar was a contemporary art institution located in Lakewood, a suburb on the western boundary of Denver, Colorado. Founded by Executive Director Adam Lerner, The Lab at Belmar was a 104-acre (0.42 km2) mixed-use residential and commercial urban neighborhood located in Lakewood. Operating in a storefront in Belmar since May 2004, The Lab opened in a dedicated space at Belmar in fall 2006. In March 2009 The Lab merged with MCA Denver (Museum of Contemporary Art Denver), and Adam Lerner became Director of MCA Denver. In May 2009 the Belmar location was closed and its programming was integrated into MCA Denver.
An institution dedicated to art and thought, combining elements of museum, think tank, and public forum, The Lab at Belmar was conceived as a space for the public to engage with artists and scholars, and to advance discussion of and experimentation with issues related to contemporary culture. Programs at The Lab included exhibitions and several lecture series, music performances, and other public programs.
In fall 2006 The Lab launched its full program in an 11,500-square-foot (1,070 m2) space adjacent to Belmar’s central open-air Plaza. Architect Hagy Belzberg of Belzberg Architects of Santa Monica, California was selected to design The Lab’s new home. In keeping with The Lab’s dual role as gallery and community space, Belzberg adapted the building to allow for a range of visitor experiences.
The Lab at Belmar began as a collaboration between Continuum Partners, the developers of Belmar, and the Denver Art Museum, where Adam Lerner was formerly Master Teacher for Modern and Contemporary Art. Lerner and Lewis Sharp, Director of the Denver Art Museum, worked together to develop The Lab as a center for experimental programming. The Lab was guided by an advisory committee of scholars, museum professionals, and artists.
In fall 2006 The Lab launched its exhibitions program with Fantôme Afrique, a three-screen film installation by British artist Isaac Julien. This was the work's United States debut. The Lab was one of three institutions to commission the work, along with the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Ellipse Foundation in Portugal. Julien is Britain’s preeminent black filmmaker, as well as an artist, writer, and scholar known for exploring the relationship between history and visual pleasure.
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