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 of artist Vance Kirkland (1904–1981). This was where he painted and taught art. On March 10, 2018, the museum moved to a new building. It is now located at 1201 Bannock Street in Denver's Golden Triangle Creative District.

History of the Museum

The building that was Vance Kirkland's art studio and school was built between 1910 and 1911. It is now a key part of the Kirkland Museum. This building is the oldest commercial art building in Denver. It is also the second oldest in Colorado. It was designed in a unique Arts & Crafts style. Architects Maurice Biscoe and Henry Hewitt created it.

The building was first used by Henry Read. He was one of the people who started the Denver Artists' Club. This club later became the Denver Art Museum. The building was originally at 1311 Pearl Street. It was called Read's Students' School of Art.

Vance Kirkland's Art 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 rented Read's building on Pearl Street. 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 1311 Pearl Street building. He used it as his personal painting studio until he passed away in 1981.

Moving the Museum

After Kirkland's death, his friend Hugh A. Grant took over his estate. In 1998, Grant started building an addition to the original studio. This new part was finished in 2000. It added more space for art and visitors. The Kirkland Museum opened to the public in April 2003. Hugh A. Grant was its first director.

On May 2, 2016, the museum closed temporarily. It was getting ready to move to a new location. The original three-room studio building was moved on November 6, 2016. It traveled eight blocks to its new home. This move was a big event!

The Kirkland studio building is very important. Because of it, the museum is part of Historic Artists' Homes and Studios. This program is run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It includes homes of famous artists like Jackson Pollock and Georgia O'Keeffe.

A brand new building was built for the museum. It is 38,500 square feet in size. The design was by Jim Olson of Olson Kundig. Merle Chambers Fund paid for the new building. The new museum opened on March 10, 2018. It is located at 1201 Bannock Street.

What You Can See: The Collections

The Kirkland Museum has three main collections. These make it different from other museums.

International Decorative Arts

This collection shows amazing examples of decorative art. Decorative arts are things like furniture, pottery, and glass. They are designed to be beautiful and useful. The collection includes styles like Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Pop Art. These pieces are mostly from around 1875 to 1990. Experts say this collection is one of the best in the country.

Colorado and Regional Art

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

Vance Kirkland's Art

Vance Kirkland (1904–1981) painted over 1,200 artworks. His work spans 55 years. He painted in many styles, from Realism to Surrealism. He also created Abstract Expressionism and his unique dot paintings. The museum shows a changing selection of his work. Kirkland's paintings have been shown in many museums and universities. They have been seen in 13 countries and 32 states.

How Art is Displayed

The way art is shown at the Kirkland Museum is special. It gives visitors a different experience.

Salon Style Display

Most large museums show art with lots of space around each piece. They also often put decorative art and fine art in separate rooms. The Kirkland Museum is different. It uses a "salon style" display. This means fine art (like paintings) and decorative art (like furniture) are shown together. It looks more like a home.

Groupings and Vignettes

Paintings and sculptures are shown with furniture. Often, groups of items are arranged together. These groups are called "vignettes." They show off a certain design period, like Art Deco. Furniture often has old radios, phones, and lamps with it. Most of the furniture is placed right on the floor.

Comparing Art Styles

Another special way the museum displays art is "comparative display." This means more than one design style is shown at the same time. For example, in the Promenade Gallery, you can compare Arts & Crafts with Art Nouveau. This helps students and visitors see the differences between styles.

See also

• List of single-artist museums