Community Relationships

Connecting Students With Local Professionals

Our relationships with local art organizations provide students with valuable hands-on experience, including volunteer opportunities, summer jobs, special lectures and classes. Many faculty members are actively involved with these organizations, helping students find employment opportunities and internships.

Denver Art Museum

Since the 1950s, we have partnered with the Denver Art Museum (DAM) to further graduate-level museum studies education. Our long-standing partnership with this trailblazing community institution has evolved to provide a variety of benefits for our students.

  • DAM curators teach courses, allowing students to learn directly from professionals in their field. 
  • Students have the opportunity to take classes inspired by the museum's current exhibitions, allowing them to experience the artwork they are studying firsthand.
  • Students are invited to participate in DAM learning opportunities such as the Logan Lecture series. 
  • Pre-art conservation majors gain hands-on experience in their field with professional conservators in Denver museums and conservation centers.
  • The DAM partners with DU to offer the Hamilton Artists-in-Residence program, which brings visiting artists to the University.

Denver Art Museum

Clyfford Still Museum

Many of our pre-art conservation majors participate in internships at the Clyfford Still Museum, which displays the work of abstract expressionist Clyfford Still. In addition, the CSM's conservator teaches our Introduction to Art Conservation class, giving students the opportunity to learn from an expert in the field.

Clyfford Still Museum 

Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art

Our relationship with the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art allows students to curate exhibitions from its collections and place their research in its permanent files. Because of our close connections with the Kirkland Museum, their works of art have been included in student-organized exhibitions on the DU campus.

Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art

Additional Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

MCA Denver

Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver

Opportunities at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) include the multicultural curatorial fellowship and volunteering at lectures, exhibition openings, galas and more.

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museo de las americas

Museo de las Americas

At Museo de las Americas, students can volunteer or intern in all areas of the Museo — from acting as docents or assisting in art installation to collections, marketing or business.

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DAVA

Downtown Aurora Visual Arts

DAVA offers arts education to urban youth between the ages of 3 and 17. Students can gain experience in teaching art to youth and working in a nonprofit environment through roles as volunteers, interns and guest artists.

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Additional Relationships

In addition to these featured relationships, you will find that faculty and staff are constantly reaching out and building more connections that benefit our students.

Partnering with the Denver Public Library has created an uplifting environment for students and given them the benefit of interacting with other experts in the field, as well as demographics outside the typical college experience.

Roddy MacInnes, Associate Professor of Photography