Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art facts for kids

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

The museum's new building on Bannock Street
Established	2 April 2003
Location	12th Avenue and Bannock Street Denver, Colorado
Type	Art museum

The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is a special art museum in Denver, Colorado, United States. It has three main collections of art and design. The museum also includes the original studio where artist Vance Kirkland (1904–1981) used to paint. In March 2018, the museum moved to a brand new building in Denver's Golden Triangle Creative District.

Museum History

The building that was Vance Kirkland's studio and art school is a very old art building in Denver. It was built in 1910–1911. This building is now a key part of the Kirkland Museum. It is the second oldest commercial art building in all of Colorado.

The First Art School

Architects Maurice Biscoe and Henry Hewitt designed the original building. It was built for Henry Read, who helped start the Denver Artists' Club. This club later became the Denver Art Museum. The building, first located on Pearl Street, was Read's Students' School of Art.

Vance Kirkland's School

In 1929, Vance Kirkland became the first director of the School of Art at the University of Denver. In 1932, he left the university. He then leased Read's Pearl Street building. Kirkland ran his own art school there until 1946. His classes were even approved by the University of Colorado.

Kirkland returned to the University of Denver in 1946. He became the director of their art school. He retired in 1969. By then, he had bought the Pearl Street building. He used it as his personal painting studio until he passed away in 1981.

Creating the Museum

After Kirkland's death, he left his property to his friend, Hugh A. Grant. In 1998, Grant started building an addition next to the studio. This new part added more space for art and visitors. The original studio was kept just as it was.

The Kirkland Museum opened to the public in April 2003. Hugh Grant was its first director. On May 2, 2016, the museum closed temporarily. It was getting ready to move to a new location.

Moving the Studio

Vance Kirkland's studio building is very important to the museum. On November 6, 2016, the three-room studio building was moved. It traveled eight blocks through the neighborhood. Special remote-controlled wheels helped it move.

The studio building is now part of the new Kirkland Museum. Because of this historic studio, the museum is part of Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios. This group includes homes of famous artists like Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Grant Wood.

The New Building

A new, much larger building was built for the museum. It is 38,500 square feet. Jim Olson designed this new building. It is located at 1201 Bannock Street in Denver's Golden Triangle Creative District. The new museum opened its doors on March 10, 2018.

Museum Collections

The Kirkland Museum has three main collections. These are an international decorative arts collection, a regional collection focusing on Colorado art, and a collection of Vance Kirkland's own work. The new building has about 65% more display space. The museum still shows art in a special "salon style."

International Decorative Arts

This collection includes amazing examples of design from different art movements. These include Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modern styles. The collection focuses on objects made from about 1875 to 1990. Experts say it's one of the best collections of 20th-century design in America.

Colorado and Regional Art

This collection has over 7,000 artworks. They are by more than 700 Colorado artists. Almost 300 of these artists are women. The museum helps keep the history of Colorado art alive. It shows art from the 1820s to about 1990. Many people say it's the most important place for Colorado art.

Vance Kirkland's Art

Vance Kirkland (1904–1981) painted over 1,200 artworks. His paintings cover 55 years of his life. His styles changed from Realism to Surrealism to Abstract Expressionism. He also created unique "dot paintings."

The museum shows a changing selection of his work. Kirkland's paintings have been shown in 70 museums. They have also been in 30 universities in 13 countries. A TV show about his art was even shown on PBS.

How Art is Displayed

The three collections at Kirkland Museum are displayed in a unique way. This makes visiting the museum a different experience.

Salon Style Display

Most large museums show art with lots of space around each piece. They also often show decorative art and fine art in separate rooms. Kirkland Museum is different. It is arranged in a "salon style," much like a home.

In this style, fine art (like paintings) and decorative art (like furniture) are shown together. This is similar to how some other famous museums display their art.

Groupings and Vignettes

Paintings and sculptures are displayed with furniture. Often, groups of items are arranged to show a specific design period. For example, you might see a whole room set up in the Art Deco style. Furniture often has period radios, phones, and lamps with it. Most furniture is placed on the floor, not on platforms.

Comparing Styles

Another special way the museum displays art is called "comparative display." This means more than one design style is shown at once. For example, in the Promenade Gallery, students can compare Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, and other styles side-by-side.

See also

• List of single-artist museums