LAKEWOOD, CO.- The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar announced today that it has appointed Kathie Kramer Ryan to the newly-created position of Deputy Director. Ryan, formerly the Manager of Major Gifts at the Denver Art Museum, will oversee The Lab at Belmar’s development initiatives, including the creation of a strategic plan for the institution. Ryan will work closely with The Lab’s Executive Director Adam Lerner, and will focus on fundraising and audience-building programs.

“Kathie Kramer Ryan will be an incredible asset to The Lab,” said Adam Lerner, Executive Director of The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar. “She brings a wealth of experience in fundraising, marketing and public relations in her work for various non-profits. As a longtime-Denver resident, Kathie also has a unique perspective on The Lab’s role in our community, and I am thrilled that she will be bringing her creativity and dynamism to our institution.”

Ryan is a seasoned professional with nearly 15 years of experience working in fundraising, marketing and public relations for non-profits around the Denver area. Most recently, during her three years at the Denver Art Museum (DAM), Ryan played an integral role in strategizing and securing gifts from individuals to complete the Museum’s capital campaign to build its new Frederic C. Hamilton Building, designed by Daniel Libeskind, which opened in October 2006. Prior to her work with DAM, Ryan spent four years as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program (RAAP), where she implemented development, marketing, and public relations strategies and tactics for the only rape crisis center serving metro-Denver. Ryan also worked for several years as a marketing and fundraising consultant, providing strategy for clients such as Denver’s LoDo District, Inc, a neighborhood advocacy organization, where she promoted the LoDo Loft Tours, a popular annual fundraising event. Ryan is also well known for her involvement with the Moffat Café in Winter Park, Colorado, where she ran a widely-publicized international contest to “give-away” the café in 2000.

“I am delighted to be joining The Lab at Belmar team,” said Kathie Kramer Ryan. “Since the opening of its new building last fall, The Lab has continued to present programs and exhibitions that draw people from throughout Denver. I am really excited for the opportunity to think strategically about The Lab’s future, and to work with Adam Lerner to expand The Lab’s programs and exhibitions to reach a broader audience.”