Amanda Precourt is opening the Cookie Factory, a new art space in Denver's Baker neighborhood, on May 24. Housed in a former fortune cookie factory that Precourt purchased in 2017, the 5,700-square-foot venue features four exhibition rooms, two solo shows per year, and monthly activations. The inaugural activation on June 21 will include yoga and sound baths led by local healers. Precourt, a Denver native and philanthropist, has transformed the dilapidated building with her partner, artist Andrew Jensdotter, and added a second-story apartment for her personal contemporary art collection. The space will not display her collection but will commission new works inspired by Colorado's environment.
This project matters because it introduces an unconventional, privately funded model to Denver's art scene, deliberately avoiding nonprofit status to foster collaboration rather than competition with local institutions. Precourt, who has donated $4 million to the Denver Art Museum and supported a Rashid Johnson exhibition at the Guggenheim, positions the Cookie Factory as a philanthropic gift to her hometown. By focusing on site-specific works and community partnerships, the space challenges traditional gallery and museum models, potentially influencing how private collectors engage with public art presentation.