FOR RELEASE: May 8, 2026

CONTACT: Cora Zaletel, 719-253-2323

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Museum opening activities include sculpture and library dedications, international da Vinci experts, and outdoor festival/ribbon cutting.

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PUEBLO, CO – The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America will officially celebrate its opening this summer with a ribbon cutting ceremony and outdoor festival, dedications of a Vitruvian Man sculpture and Clark Family Library, and an engaging presentation by three of the world’s most respected authorities on Leonardo da Vinci. All events will bring attention to the museum’s uniqueness as the first dedicated museum in North America to feature the complete facsimile collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s manuscripts and drawings as well as full-scale constructions of Leonardo’s visionary designs by the Artisans of Florence from Florence, Italy.

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Opening celebration activities begin in early June with the dedication of a Vitruvian Man sculpture outside the museum based on an interpretation of the Vitruvian Man drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in 1490. Benefactor Tom Welte will be honored for the funding of the art piece in tribute to his late wife Nanci. Local artist Eric McCue was commissioned to create the monumental piece, 14 feet in circumference. The sculpture will revolve on a pedestal. The ring surrounding the globe will be illuminated with solar energy and feature a da Vinci quote, Learning never exhausts the mind, in three languages, English, Spanish, and Italian. Details on the date and time of the dedication will be forthcoming.

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“Inside the Mind of a Genius: Conversations with da Vinci Scholars” will feature three internationally recognized Leonardo da Vinci experts in a spirited dialogue led by local celebrity Craig Eliot beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 11 in Exhibit Hall B of the Pueblo Convention Center.

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Professor Martin Kemp, British art historian and exhibition curator, is one of the world's leading authorities and authors on the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci. Kemp has also written about visualization in art and science, particularly anatomy, natural sciences, and optics. Kemp will provide answers to some of Eliot’s questions, which also will be considered by Dr. Sara Taglialagamba and Waqas Ahmed. Dr. Taglialagamba, head of the Art Academies Section of the European University Festival, will share her expertise as a leading scholar on Leonardo da Vinci and professor at the University of Urbino in Italy. Additionally, she is the executive director of the Pedretti Foundation. Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of The DaVinci Network, dedicated to promoting multidisciplinary lateral thinking. He is the author of The Polymath (2019) and a global authority on versatile thought and innovation.

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The museum will open its doors to visitors following a grand opening and ribbon cutting with state and local leaders at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 12, followed by an outdoor festival of family friendly activities, including face painting and caricatures, food trucks, farmers’ market, selfie stations, music and medieval combat demonstrations. The festival will conclude at 5 p.m. On Friday but resume from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 13.

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In July, the museum will dedicate the Clark Family Library at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 17, honoring the two daughters of benefactors Mark and Reiko Clark. The museum will house Leonardo da Vinci’s complete personal library and only official reproduction of Leonardo’s manuscripts and drawings, including Leonardo’s own marginal notes and sketches. This extraordinary collection captures the full breadth of his genius. Through a relationship with Giunti Publishing, every known codex will be on display.

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Regular hours for the museum will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days a week, except for holidays. For the latest information on the museum and upcoming events, visit davincisteam.org.

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