DENVER.-The Denver Art Museum announced today that a 280-seat auditorium located in the new Frederic C. Hamilton Building will be named the Lewis I. Sharp Auditorium in honor of the museum’s long-time director. Since his arrival in Denver in 1989, Sharp has steered the museum through periods of unprecedented growth and played a key role in moving Denver’s cultural visibility to new heights. During the 1990s Sharp led the museum through two important renovations, enhanced the museum’s internationally recognized educational programs, boosted museum collections, and brought in major touring exhibitions. The opening of the 146,000-square-foot Hamilton Building next fall will showcase Sharp’s vision for the museum and his dedication to bringing world-class art to the Denver community.

The auditorium is located on the lower level of the Hamilton Building and will provide much needed space for future programming of the museum and the surrounding cultural complex. The build-out and installation of technology in the auditorium will likely happen following the fall 2006 opening of the Hamilton Building, with programming beginning in 2007. Fundraising for completion of the auditorium is currently taking place and is a separate initiative from the $28 million capital fundraising effort for enhancements to the new building. To date, half of the $2.5 million needed to complete the auditorium has been raised.

“Lewis Sharp’s leadership of the Denver Art Museum has pushed us all to think about art in new ways and strive for a level of quality parallel to the world’s top institutions,” said museum board chairman Frederic C. Hamilton. “I am thrilled to name this new space in honor of Sharp and his many accomplishments.”