An anonymous $25 million donation made to the Denver Art Museum will be used to establish an Institute of Textile Art and Fashion, the museum announced Wednesday.

The money will support future staffing, programming, art acquisitions and outreach for the institute, the announcement said. The institute will aim to develop and share the museum’s current textile art and fashion collection, in addition to funding research.

“The museum is deeply grateful for this significant and powerful endowment gift,” said museum directors Christoph Heinrich and Jan Mayer in a statement.

“Textiles have been wonderful ambassadors and connectors between diverse cultures for thousands of years. They were used to communicate ideas and stories, share religious beliefs as well as notions of style and taste. Then, as now, they are among the most beautiful documents of human creativity.”

The museum’s textile art and fashion collection dates back to 1927, consisting of over 5,000 pieces from Asia, Europe, North America and South America. It includes archaeological textiles, contemporary fiber art and fashion from the 18th century to today.

The collection is displayed in the sixth-floor Textile Art and Fashion Gallery. Popular exhibits have included “Dior: From Paris to the World” in 2019, “Shockwave: Japanese Fashion Design 1980s-90s” in 2017 and “Paris to Hollywood: The Fashion and Influence of Veronique and Gregory Peck” in 2021.

The collection’s curator, Florence Müller, will lead the new Institute of Textile Art and Fashion, the announcement said.

“Fashion and textiles are exciting to me and our audiences because they are so accessible – everyone has fashion and textiles in their home and everyday lives,” Müller said. “This gift will enable us to build upon the museum’s great collections and tell more stories with them.”

Of the $25 million, $15 million will fund programs and scholarships and $10 million will fund new acquisitions to the textile art and fashion collection, the announcement said.

Upcoming work that will be funded includes the restoration and care of the current collection, more exhibitions and learning programs, an ongoing lecture series and the Textile Art and Fashion Symposia.

An anonymous $25 million donation made to the Denver Art Museum will be used to establish an Institute of Textile Art and Fashion, the museum announced Wednesday.

The money will support future staffing, programming, art acquisitions and outreach for the institute, the announcement said. The institute will aim to develop and share the museum’s current textile art and fashion collection, in addition to funding research.

“The museum is deeply grateful for this significant and powerful endowment gift,” said museum directors Christoph Heinrich, Frederick Mayer and Jan Mayer said in a statement.

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“Textiles have been wonderful ambassadors and connectors between diverse cultures for thousands of years. They were used to communicate ideas and stories, share religious beliefs as well as notions of style and taste. Then, as now, they are among the most beautiful documents of human creativity.”

The museum’s textile art and fashion collection dates back to 1927, consisting of over 5,000 pieces from Asia, Europe, North America and South America. It includes archaeological textiles, contemporary fiber art and fashion from the 18th century to today.

The collection is displayed in the sixth-floor Textile Art and Fashion Gallery. Popular exhibits have included “Dior: From Paris to the World” in 2019, “Shockwave: Japanese Fashion Design 1980s-90s” in 2017 and “Paris to Hollywood: The Fashion and Influence of Veronique and Gregory Peck” in 2021.

The collection’s curator, Florence Müller, will lead the new Institute of Textile Art and Fashion, the announcement said.

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“Fashion and textiles are exciting to me and our audiences because they are so accessible – everyone has fashion and textiles in their home and everyday lives,” Müller said. “This gift will enable us to build upon the museum’s great collections and tell more stories with them.”

Of the $25 million, $15 million will fund programs and scholarships and $10 million will fund new acquisitions to the textile art and fashion collection, the announcement said.

Upcoming work that will be funded includes the restoration and care of the current collection, more exhibitions and learning programs, an ongoing lecture series and the Textile Art and Fashion Symposia.