A rendering of an exhibit room inside the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. (Photo: Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America)
Few artists gain the status and legacy necessary to warrant a permanent museum dedicated to their lives. Leonardo da Vinci, however, has not one but five museums around the world focused on his work as an artist and inventor. Now, a sixth can be added to that list, and it’ll serve as the first and only da Vinci-specific museum in North America.
Slated to open this fall in Pueblo, Colorado, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America will predominantly focus on da Vinci’s feats of engineering, reimagining his technical drawings, texts, and experiments as life-sized replicas created in partnership with the Artisans of Florence, an Italian craftsman’s organization. These machine models, alongside interactive science exhibits, showcase the museum’s efforts to highlight multidisciplinary studies such as STEAM.
“We believe this museum will be a transformative addition to the Pueblo community in the areas of STEAM education and a significant draw for visitors from across North America,” Joe Arrigo, the board chair of the Southern Colorado Science Center, told the Colorado Spring Gazette.
The Leonardo da Vinci Museum only recently received final approval from the Colorado Economic Development Commission. Issued on February 20, the approval followed a 10-year exclusivity memorandum of understanding with the Artisans of Florence, which operates the five other da Vinci museums in Australia, Japan, France, Italy, and South Korea. Significantly, the memorandum also ensures that the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Pueblo will be the only one of its kind in the United States.
Aside from this level of exclusivity, Pueblo was also chosen as the museum’s location due to a 2022 exhibition hosted at Sangre de Cristo Arts Center. During Da Vinci: Machines and Robotics, the arts center displayed over 60 da Vinci models, which, following the exhibition’s closure, were stored in Pueblo and often loaned out nationwide.
“The increasing interest in these exhibits and the support from Pueblo made it the perfect spot to open the first Leonardo da Vinci Museum in North America,” the museum explains on its FAQ page. “Plus, the area’s connection to steelmaking and manufacturing makes it an ideal place to celebrate Leonardo da Vinci’s genius and inspire future generations to explore STEAM fields.”
Pueblo’s Leonardo da Vinci Museum will be located next to the Pueblo Convention Center and Historic Arkansas Riverwalk, and will cover more than 18,000 square feet of space. Beyond its vast exhibition space, the museum will also encompass a gift shop and outdoor cafe, with a future expansion set to restore the Centennial planetarium.
To stay updated on its opening, visit the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America website.
Opening in Pueblo, Colorado, this fall, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America will be the first and only museum of its kind on the continent.
Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, ca. 1505. (Photo: Museum of the Ancient People of Lucania, Public domain)
The museum will focus on da Vinci’s feats of engineering, showcasing life-size replicas of his drawings, sketches, and experiments.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America: Website | Instagram
Sources: First Leonardo da Vinci Museum in the US Coming This Fall; Pueblo receives final approval for Leonardo da Vinci Museum
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