The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a $400,000 grant to the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the museum announced today.

The money will be used to create a three-year leadership program for art museum professionals (curators, etc.) called Animating Museums. Fourteen program fellows will be chosen from around the country to take part in a series of creativity workshops with outside experts and MCA Denver staff. The goal is to teach them innovative thinking through theory, coaching and practical application.

“We are so excited be able to realize the Animating Museums program, which will help groom the next generation of creative museum professionals,” Adam Lerner, Director and Chief Animator at MCA Denver, said in a statement. “However, we are even more excited to see the fellows implement their ideas with a creative project on a civic scale, testing established conventions for art programming and audience engagement, while learning from creative leaders to take risks and be more imaginative in the way they work, live, and contribute to their communities.”

Anyone interested in becoming an Animating Museum fellow can apply over the next few months. For more information, visit animatingmuseums.com.