FIRST AND ONLY LEONARDO DA VINCI MUSEUM IN NORTH AMERICA NOW GOING TO COLORADO

Few artists achieve the fame and reputation required to merit a permanent museum devoted to their works. But Leonardo da Vinci's art and inventions are the subject of not one, but five museums worldwide. It is now possible to add a sixth to that list, which will be the first and only museum in North America dedicated to da Vinci.

The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America, which is scheduled to open in Pueblo, Colorado, this fall, will primarily highlight da Vinci's engineering achievements by reimagining his technical drawings, texts, and experiments as life-sized replicas made in collaboration with the Artisans of Florence, an Italian craftsmen's organization. Together with interactive science displays, these machine models demonstrate the museum's attempts to promote interdisciplinary research like STEAM.

The Southern Colorado Science Center's board chair, Joe Arrigo, told the Colorado Springs Gazette, "We think this museum will be a transformative contribution to the Pueblo community in the areas of STEAM education and a huge magnet for visitors from around North America."

The Colorado Economic Development Commission only recently gave the Leonardo da Vinci Museum full permission. Following a 10-year exclusivity agreement of understanding with the Artisans of Florence, which runs the five other da Vinci museums in Australia, Japan, France, Italy, and South Korea, the approval was granted on February 20. The pact also guarantees that the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Pueblo will be the only one of its kind in the United States, which is significant.

In addition to this degree of exclusivity, the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center's 2022 exhibition was another factor in Pueblo's selection as the museum's site. Over 60 da Vinci models were on show at the arts center during Da Vinci: Machines and Robotics. After the exhibition ended, the models were kept in Pueblo and frequently lent out across the country.

According to the museum's frequently asked questions page, "Pueblo's backing and the growing interest in these exhibitions made it the appropriate spot to open the first Leonardo da Vinci Museum in North America." Additionally, the region's ties to manufacturing and steelmaking make it a perfect location to honour Leonardo da Vinci's brilliance and encourage the next generation to pursue STEAM careers.

The Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Pueblo will occupy more than 18,000 square feet and be situated adjacent to the Pueblo Convention Center and Historic Arkansas Riverwalk. In addition to its expansive exhibition area, the museum will have an outdoor cafe and gift shop, and it plans to repair the Centennial planetarium in the future.