With a single donation, the Denver Art Museum has cemented its reputation as one of the top repositories of Western art in the United States.
Denver collector Henry Roath recently pledged to give the museum’s Petrie Institute of Western American Art his collection of approximately 50 masterpieces of the American West by artists including Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington and Ernest L. Blumenschein.
The Roath collection focuses on art of the American Southwest with an emphasis on works from members of the Taos Society of Artists. Roath also made a financial gift of $500,000 to help establish a fund for future art acquisitions.
“Mr. Roath’s generous gift to the museum and the people of Denver is one of the most important donations in our history,” said Christoph Heinrich, the Frederick and Jan Mayer director of the Denver Art Museum.
The Petrie Institute promotes DAM’s Western American art collection through publications, research, symposia, exhibitions and acquisitions.
The works in the Roath collection range in dates from 1877 to 1972 and include oil paintings, watercolors and bronze sculptures.
“I want the collection to be accessible to the public,” Roath said. “The Denver Art Museum has made a strong commitment to art of the region and has a bold program. I’m excited for visitors and the public to be able to experience the masters of the American West firsthand. I hope this gift will inspire others to further grow the acquisition fund so that the collection can continue to evolve.”
The museum will host a black-tie fundraiser, “Collectors’ Choice,” on Dec. 5 to honor Roath and two other significant supporters, Jim Wallace and Tom Petrie. Proceeds from the event will support the acquisition fund.
ted@durangoherald.com
If you go
The Roath Collection, on loan to the Denver Art Museum, will remain on view in the Level 2 and Level 7 Western American art galleries at the museum, on 13th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock Streets in downtown Denver.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and weekends; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays except the final Friday of the month, when the museum stays open until 10 p.m. for the Untitled event; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission for Colorado residents is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students. Admission for non-Colorado residents is $13 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, $5 for visitors ages 6 to 18 and free for children younger than 6. General museum admission is free the first Saturday of each month.
For more information, call (720) 865-5000 or visit www.denverartmuseum.org.
