The Denver Art Museum (DAM) created a visitor experience for the exhibition "Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum" that centered on rest and well-being, inspired by Thomas's belief that art should offer beauty and restoration. The exhibition team, including an interpretive specialist, layered inclusive design practices such as specific interventions for rest, aiming to make Black audiences, disabled audiences, and older audiences feel comfortable and welcome. The DAM's Lifelong Learning and Accessibility division applied universal design principles and well-being outcomes to support the exhibition's goal of honoring Thomas's vision of art as a restorative space.
This matters because it demonstrates how museums can intentionally design exhibitions to promote health and well-being, aligning with a growing body of research—including a 2019 World Health Organization report—that shows engaging with the arts plays a major role in preventing illness and managing health across the lifespan. By prioritizing rest and accessibility, the DAM offers a model for how cultural institutions can move beyond traditional display to actively support visitor wellness, particularly for historically marginalized communities.