The MCA Denver board of trustees today announced that Adam Lerner will be its new director and in the process will also merge the Lab at Belmar with MCA.

Lerner founded the Laboratory of Art and Ideas and has been its executive director since it opened in 2006 in the Lakewood development. Before that he was master teacher for modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum.

MCA began a search for a new director after Cydney Payton left that post in late October.

“I think what struck us immediately was Adam's depth of knowledge, his innovative ideas and his emphasis on collaboration," said Alan Becker, chairman of the search committee and MCA board vice president. "He had thought through 'How do you make art relevant to people today?' "

The boards of MCA and the Lab will merge, and in a note today to Lab members, Lerner said the Lab will continue programming at its current location until April 26. After that time, events will be in the new MCA building.

Lerner received his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University and his masters degree from Cambridge University.

In a statement, MCA Denver board chairman Mark Falcone cited the benefits of merging the institutions. “MCA Denver’s ability to engage the community and advance Denver as an innovative center for art and culture will be greatly enhanced by these two institutions joining forces under Adam’s expertise,” said Falcone, who recused himself from the final discussion on hiring Lerner because the Lab is part of Falcone’s Belmar development.